Increased federal support for families, women and survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario
July 17, 2023 – Oshawa, Ontario – Department of Justice Canada
Gary Anandasangaree, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Ryan Turnbull, Member of Parliament for Whitby, Ontario, announced that the Government of Canada is providing financial support to four projects led by Luke’s Place.
Justice Canada is providing $2,409,915 through the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program. Two projects designed to enhance services for victims of IPV are receiving support:
- The Expanding Services and Enhancing Access to Virtual Independent Legal Advice for Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence project increases women’s access to free independent legal advice and representation by expanding the existing Virtual Legal Clinic. This initiative also helps recruit, train and mentor additional pro-bono lawyers.
- The Addressing Gaps in Family Court Support Services for IPV Survivors in Ontario through Enhanced Services and Knowledge Mobilization and Supporting National Capacity Building Activities project provides outreach services to marginalized and underserved communities and development tools and resources to improve IPV survivors’ safety and experiences in family court.
In addition, Justice Canada is providing $291,755 through the Canadian Family Justice Fund for Luke’s Place initiatives to improve access to justice for women and their families navigating the family justice system. This funding supports the following initiatives:
- The Building Awareness about Divorce Act Changes Impacting Women project supports women in underserved areas through an outreach campaign on the March 2021 changes to the Divorce Act regarding parenting arrangements. The project also delivers training to service providers on these changes, including measures for dealing with family violence.
- The Strengthening Access to Justice in Family Court project aims to increase access to family justice for women by providing research-based training to lawyers, ensuring that services are responsive to the complex safety needs of women and their families.
The violence doesn’t end when a woman leaves an abusive partner; in fact, the risks for her and her children may increase. Women who have been subjected to intimate partner violence need critical supports as they navigate the complex family court system. The Department of Justice is an important partner in our efforts to provide these supports. With this funding, Luke’s Place is deepening our support to women with intersecting identities, enhancing our legal clinic services, developing new trainings and public legal education resources and expanding our collaborations with other community-based organizations and legal stakeholders across Ontario and Canada.
Carol Barkwell, Executive Director