PEI Status of Women Minister supports national Declaration Against Violence

Prince Edward Island Minister Natalie Jameson met with Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) Ministers responsible for the Status of Women for their 38th annual meeting Jan. 21-22, 2021 and endorsed the Federal Provincial Territorial Ministerial Joint Declaration for a Canada free of Gender- Based Violence (GBV). 

This declaration reiterates the longstanding commitment of the federal, provincial, and territorial governments in the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) and the advancement of gender equality for people across Canada. It builds on the strong history of federal, provincial and territorial collaboration in preventing and addressing gender-based violence.

This joint declaration affirms a common vision, principles and goals for responding to gender-based violence. This federal, provincial and territorial collaboration represents an important step in developing a National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence in Canada. The National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence is separate from but complementary to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Nation Action Plan.

“Today, we formalize our agreement to build a coordinated national action plan to end all forms of violence against women and gender-based violence for every Canadian. This is a significant milestone for survivors of gender-based violence and all feminists. The agreement puts in place a set of actions that will strengthen prevention measures, support survivors and their families, and improve responses in the justice system. Since 2015, the Government of Canada has increased funding to community organizations five fold. We are supporting over 1,500 frontline organizations that are caring for over six million victims and survivors of gender-based violence during the pandemic. Our collaboration will continue throughout, and beyond the pandemic, until no one in Canada has to say ‘Me Too’”

The Honourable Maryam Monsef, P.C., M.P.

Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

Government of Canada

“By endorsing this declaration, we are committing our collective efforts to support an end to gender-based violence. When COVID-19 first began, our provincial Ministers in PEI struck a Family Violence Prevention Committee to make sure support services to those experiencing GBV were still available and considered essential. As we go forward with our economic recovery, I will continue to work with partners to ensure addressing violence in our communities remains a priority.”

-  Natalie Jameson, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Prince Edward Island

The meeting was also marked by important discussions where Ministers shared perspectives and experiences from their jurisdictions. They also expressed their priorities and most pressing concerns about gender-based violence, which include human trafficking, another significant danger to the health and safety of women and girls today, COVID-19, and the importance of taking into consideration gendered and intersectional economic impacts. 

During this meeting, the Ministers reiterated the importance of their collective work on gender equality, and the use of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to guide initiatives through the pandemic, taking into account the perspectives of National Indigenous leaders and representatives and the 2SLGBTQQIA communities.

Since the last FPT meeting in December 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified historic and systemic gender inequalities that continue to have disproportionate impacts on women. 

Throughout the pandemic, federal, provincial and territorial governments have had multiple engagements on the challenges of addressing gender-based violence during the pandemic and with the stay-at-home guidelines. All federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions have put measures in place to provide emergency supports and have taken concrete steps to help those experiencing violence. 

Through strong collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, the Government of Canada coordinated the delivery of emergency funding to organizations supporting women and children experiencing violence. 

To note, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is operating in a caretaker period due to a provincial election and is unable to participate.

Quebec supports the general principles of the joint declaration and will continue to be active in the fight against gender-based violence by prioritizing its own actions and measures. It also intends to continue to share information and best practices with other governments on this issue.

Quick Facts

• Data collected through Statistics Canada in March and April 2020 suggested that 1 in 10 women in Canada were very or extremely concerned about the possibility of violence in the home early in the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Understanding experiences of gender-based violence across the country is critical for eliminating gender-based violence and better supporting those who have experienced violence. 
• Meetings between the federal, provincial and territorial governments offer an important opportunity for leadership from coast to coast to coast to discuss shared priorities, strengthen collaboration, and work together to make life better for all Canadians.
• Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women meet annually to share information, exchange best practices and explore issues and opportunities to advance gender equality. They also discuss options for mutually-beneficial collaboration to support improved social and economic prosperity for women and girls and to prevent and address gender-based violence.
• The next annual meeting of the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women will be hosted by Saskatchewan in Fall 2021.

Media contact:

Media Relations

Women and Gender Equality Canada

1-855-969-9922

Leanne Ritchie

Environment, Water and Climate Change and

Status of Women 

902 314-0134

lpritchie@gov.pe.ca