The Yukon Women’s Coalition is asking the territorial government for more core funding.

The issue was brought up Wednesday in the legislature on International Women’s Day.

In a Feb. 28 letter to Jeanie McLean, the minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate, the coalition followed up on a meeting on Jan. 19 regarding its engagement in the Yukon implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) on Gender Based Violence (GBV).

In the letter, the coalition requested the following:

• “A formal working relationship with Yukon Government on the roll-out of National Action Plan funding in the Yukon in the form of an MOU that would demonstrate our inclusion as decision makers on prioritization of how this funding should roll out.

• Clarity on which funding pots will support the implementation of both the National Action Plan on Gender Based Violence and the National Action Plan on MMIWG2s+.

• Core funding for Yukon Equity seeking groups to reflect the core pillar of the NAP – sustainability of the sector.”

According to the letter, the organizations in the coalition receive core funding from either the directorate or from the Department of Health and Social Services.

Lack of funding for staff is impacting the coalition’s members to recruit and retain employees.

Shelters represented by the coalition are currently operating at a deficit and are unable to offer services 24/7.

According to the coalition, it would take less than $1.3 million to meet its request for core funding.

Here is a breakdown of the organizations, their current annual core funding and their additional annual funding requirements:

The Yukon Status of Women’s Council is currently receiving $49,000 and is requiring another $101,000 in funding.

Les Essentielles is receiving $49,000 and is seeking another $106,000.

The Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre is currently receiving $55,000 and is seeking another $195,000.

The Whitehorse Aboriginal Women’s Circle currently receives $88,000 and is looking for another $195,000.

Yukon Women in Trades and Technology is currently at $49,000 and is looking for an increase of $51,000.

The Yukon Women’s Transition Home Society currently receives $1.7 million and is seeking another $250,000.

The Dawson Shelter Society receives $405,000 and is looking for an increase of $150,000.

And the Help and Hope for Families Society receives $604,000 per year and is looking for another $250,000.

Yvonne Clarke, the Yukon Party MLA for Porter Creek Centre, brought up the letter in question period Wednesday.

McLean replied, “I am absolutely committed to continue meeting with women’s organizations that are receiving core funding from the Women and Gender Equity Directorate this year to develop a sustainable way forward and to work together on the implementation of Yukon’s portion of the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

“I really do look forward to sitting down again with the staff and elected officials of these organizations to continue the discussion,” the minister added.

Clarke replied, “These groups are calling on the minister to back up her words and promises with actions and funding.

“Will the minister provide the necessary core funding to these groups to achieve the goals set out in the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence?”

McLean replied, “I have made commitments to the women’s organizations and equality-seeking groups to continue this discussion.

“The formal negotiations on Yukon’s implementation, as I have stated, have started and will be reflected in, I would think, the supplementary budget later in the year. Those dollars are not reflected in our current budget that we have tabled (last) week.”

Clarke then asked McLean about the coalition’s request for an MOU demonstrating their inclusion as decision makers on prioritization of how the funding should roll out.

McLean responded, “The bilateral agreement with Women and Gender Equality Canada is federal-provincial-territorial and will be negotiated between governments. Negotiations have started.”

NDP Leader Kate White told reporters after question period, “We look across the Yukon and see these groups that are doing this incredible work all the time.

“These organizations don’t even get enough core funding to cover a position, which means that their executive directors are constantly chasing down money,” she said.

According to White, that includes funding for programs and staff.

“We have to make sure the groups that are doing this work are adequately funded, that they have equal access to pay that Yukon government employees do, so that they can continue doing the work.”

White pointed out that McLean said during question period that while there is not a line item in the 2023-24 budget, there would be one in the supplementary budget.

“They have turned pennies into dollars for far too long, and imagine what they could do with dollars,” said White.

She said it would be “great news” to celebrate on International Women’s Day if the coalition was to receive the additional core funding it’s asking for.

“That would be incredible.”

White said there’s a lot of money coming out of a bilateral agreement between the federal and territorial governments.

“That’s why those women’s organizations that are doing the anti-violence work are asking for that core funding agreement, the core funding increase.

“Because they are the ones doing the work from that bilateral agreement. And they’re asking just to have sustainable amounts of money to be able to do the work. So they can build on the work that they’re doing.”

White said the coalition’s organizations have had to cut meal programs and positions and shorten hours.

“It’s not by choice. It’s a hard decision to get to that point.”

White added, “If we look at a $2-billion budget, if we say that on the backs of women we’re going to keep those organizations down by keeping their core funding at poverty levels, then I have a problem with that.

“This is a $2 billion budget. And if we’re saying we cannot increase that by – it’s so little, in comparison to that $2 billion.”