Program providing free phones for Indigenous women at risk slow to catch on in Calgary – CBC

Nov 25, 2021

No phones activated due to pandemic-related barriers, says friendship centre

In early 2020, Telus partnered with five Indigenous friendship centres across Alberta to provide free smartphones and data plans for Indigenous women in violent situations.

But nearly two years later, the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary hasn’t activated any of the 10 phones from the phone provider because of barriers faced by Indigenous women experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic.

That’s according to Lori Johnstone, Indigenous COVID-19 task force coordinator — and lead of the program’s partnership — at the Aboriginal Centre of Calgary.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/free-phones-indigenous-women-1.6261898