Victoria Foundation grants over $320,000 to 11 local women, girls, Two-Spirit and Gender-Diverse-led and serving organizations
Victoria, BC – 11 organizations leading initiatives to support women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals in Greater Victoria will receive over $320,000 through the Fund for Gender Equality.
“Investing in this work and this movement is key to supporting women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people who continue to face barriers and experience discrimination,” said Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation CEO. “Working towards gender equality across the country can create communities of true belonging and we can help foster that movement in Greater Victoria.”
The Fund for Gender Equality is a collaboration between Community Foundations of Canada and the Equality Fund which is supported by the Government of Canada. The Victoria Foundation is one of 21 local community foundations from across Canada taking part in the program, granting over $3.4M towards the gender equality movement.
The Victoria Foundation has funded organizations with a focus on those that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships. This funding spans a variety of purposes, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, to address long-standing community needs, or to support a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals are at the centre of the movement towards gender equality and equity, “said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power.”
The Fund for Gender Equality strategically invests in these demographics to support the organization’s staff along with the communities they serve. The local initiatives supported by the Fund for Gender Equality will help create gender equality through a wide range of projects and programs that address food insecurity for women fleeing domestic violence, racial injustice, alternate types of justice for victims of sexualized violence, mental health and wellness support for transgender individuals, and many more. The first round of the Fund for Gender Equality was hosted between May and November of 2020 and distributed a total of $3.4M to projects in local communities across Canada.
Click here for a full list of organizations funded.