Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

PROGRAMS ENRICHED – Shown left to right at Tuesday’s funding announcement are Maryam Monsef, the federal Status of Women minister, Jeanie Dendys, the territorial minister responsible for the Women’s Directorate, Ann Maje Raider, Adeline Webber and Joy O’Brien.

Indigenous women’s groups get major funding boost

Three Indigenous women’s groups in the territory will benefit from a cash infusion of $759,000 from the territorial and federal governments.

By Stephanie Waddell on October 17, 2018

Three Indigenous women’s groups in the territory will benefit from a cash infusion of $759,000 from the territorial and federal governments.

The money will go to the Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society, the Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle and the Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Circle.

The funding announcement was made Tuesday morning at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. It occurred just before four days of meetings began among federal, territorial and provincial ministers responsible for the status of women in their jurisdictions.

Maryam Monsef, the federal Status of Women minister was joined by Jeanie Dendys, the territorial minister responsible for the Women’s Directorate, in making the announcement.

It will see an extra $867,500 from the federal government to complement the $759,000 from the territory in operational funding over three years to be provided to the three groups.

“It’s really about building capacity,” Dendys said of the funding. She noted the importance of each of the organizations in delivering services, supports and advocating for First Nations women throughout the territory.

The work of the three groups helps inform government policy as well, Dendys noted.

“The three Indigenous women’s organizations that we are supporting know the most important issues facing Indigenous women today in Yukon,” she said.

“It is critical to make it easier for women’s organization to access funding. By supporting them, we are empowering all Indigenous women in Yukon and helping them ensure a better future for the territory.”

Monsef, meanwhile, pointed to the possibilities for training and skills development through the funding.

She and Dendys stressed the spending flexibility for the organizations in doing their work.

“These are the women and their allies who have ensured that the liberties and the means that women like me enjoy today are there,” Monsef said.

“These are the organizations that have brought the rest of us along, with an understanding that advancing gender equality isn’t just about doing the right thing, but it’s about doing the smart thing.”

Ann Maje Raider, the Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society’s executive director, told those gathered at the announcement that projects are often not sustainable due to a lack of ongoing funding.

The additional funding is “very welcome,” Maje Raider said.

Adeline Webber of the Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle said she was “pleased to hear this announcement” after more than 40 years of volunteering with the organization.

She noted the funding will allow the group to put reports that have been done over the years “into action.”

Joy O’Brien of the Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Circle also praised the funding.

Comments (7)

Up 1 Down 12

Doug Ryder on Oct 19, 2018 at 1:06 pm

All Men Are Not Pigs gets a clue - If you are logically extending my argument then I am not uneqivocally stating - YOU ARE. Don’t put this on me. I have said that the men who are not committing crimes should put pressure on those who do because then the collective pot of monies that is being funneled into the criminal justice system can then be diversified.

Up 4 Down 13

Doug Ryder on Oct 19, 2018 at 12:52 pm

@ All Men Are Not - I make no assertion that all men are criminally inclined. Perhaps you can re-read the post and try again.
As for your reference to pigs... What do you mean by a war once a month? That is certainly a piggish statement suggesting that all women are irrational once a month - Please clarify.

Up 17 Down 4

Max Mack on Oct 19, 2018 at 11:45 am

So sad to see that the First Nations political system is being driven by and for women, rather than all First Nations people. If anything, it is the men who are suffering.

The Yukon's matriarchal societies already ensure a healthy dose of power for women. Plus, most of the university training is taken by women, and most of the good steady-paying jobs in government are taken by the women, and now the top political positions are held by the women. Add to that lots of funding and social programming directed specifically towards women by society at large.

Men get to go to jail, I guess?

Up 15 Down 4

All-Men-Are-Not-Pigs on Oct 19, 2018 at 10:58 am

Doug Ryder, what a bizarre statement. You unequivocally state that all men, by logical extension of your opinion, are criminally inclined. It's the sort of odd thinking that women use to say 'if there were female national leaders, we would have no more wars'. ( if we had all female leaders, there would be a war every month! ).

Up 24 Down 2

Groucho d'North on Oct 18, 2018 at 12:16 pm

I'd like to see where all the money they get goes. What does it get spent on and what is the net value to reduce violence against Indigenous women? I`m anticipating there is some form of value identified when these groups apply for funding, please share what these rather expensive values are.

Up 6 Down 17

Doug Ryder on Oct 18, 2018 at 8:34 am

@ Men Have Rights Also - There is plenty of funding for men’s groups. Much of the funding that men’s groups receive is funneled into the penal system; Courts, jails and prisons.

If men would like to diversify their funding portfolio they should exert pressure on their counterparts to not commit crimes so that the monies can be redistributed.

Up 37 Down 12

Men_Have_Rights_Also on Oct 17, 2018 at 3:26 pm

And where precisely is the funding for Indigenous ( or non-Indigenous ) Men's groups may I ask ? With all this cash floating around, and to quote a popular emblematic motto from 2018, 759,000 dollars, ? ooh, 'Me Too'.

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