Funding available to support victims of intimate partner violence involved in the family justice system

Press Release

December 2, 2021

Ottawa – Department of Justice Canada

All people living in Canada should be safe and free from physical, emotional and sexual violence, discrimination, and harassment, regardless of where they live. As the COVID-19 pandemic has magnified systemic and longstanding inequalities, there is an increased need and urgency to fund initiatives aimed at supporting survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) across the country.

Today, the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced the launch of a call for proposals for projects that assist victims of intimate partner violence to access and navigate the family justice system, and that improve justice system responses to this type of violence. This funding will be provided through the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program.

Through Budget 2021, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $35 million over five years for enhanced family justice system supports for victims of intimate partner violence. These investments build on Budgets 2017 and 2018 with total funding of over $600 million over five years and complement efforts underway as part of the Government of Canada’s Gender-Based Violence Strategy.

Intimate partner violence, also known as spousal or domestic violence, refers to multiple forms of harm caused by a current or former intimate partner or spouse. IPV can happen in any community, in any type of intimate relationship, including within a marriage, common-law or dating relationship, in a heterosexual or LGBTQ2 (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Two-Spirit) relationship. It can happen at any time during a relationship and even after it has ended, whether or not partners live together or are sexually intimate with one another.

Quotes

“One distressing impact of the the COVID 19 pandemic is an alarming increase in intimate partner violence. We all have a role to play in taking meaningful action to ensure that intimate partner violence is eradicated. Victims of intimate partner violence need support to navigate the family law system, and we need to improve how the justice system responds to this kind of violence. The call for proposals we are launching is an important step in that direction. ”

The Honourable David Lametti, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Quick facts

Justice Canada’s Justice Partnership and Innovation Program (JPIP) provides contribution funding for projects that support a fair, relevant and accessible Canadian justice system. JPIP supports activities that respond effectively to the changing conditions affecting Canadian justice policy. Priorities include access to justice, family violence, and emerging justice issues. The long-term goal of JPIP is to contribute to increasing access to the Canadian justice system and strengthening the Canadian legal framework.
The level of funding will vary from project to project based on the nature and scope of the proposed activities. For projects that are local or regional in scope, the funding amount available per fiscal year is up to $500,000. For projects that are provincial or national in scope, the funding amount available per fiscal year is up to $1,000,000.
This call for proposals is open to Canadian not-for-profit organizations, Provincial or Territorial Governments Legal Clinics, Judges’ and Lawyers’ Associations, Canadian educational institutions, Family Justice Organizations, Family Dispute Resolution Associations, Indigenous Organizations, Bands, Tribal Councils, and Governments, and individuals
Women represent the majority of victims of intimate partner homicides in Canada, accounting for 80% of people killed by an intimate partner between 2014 and 2020. In 2020, 160 women were violently killed in Canada.
While Indigenous women account for about 5% of all women in Canada, they accounted for 22% of all women killed by an intimate partner between 2014 and 2020.

Funding available to support victims of intimate partner violence involved in the family justice system

NationTalk Partners & Sponsors Learn More