“It is only by working together and enhancing our knowledge and understanding of these issues that we will end all forms of violence against women and girls,”- Minister Leitch

This article was published on September 11, 2013 in South Asian Focus. Authored by: Roger Belgrave.

The federal government is providing more than $300,000 for a Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) project developed to address violence against Muslim women.

Dr Kellie Leitch, Minister of Status of Women, and Brampton West MP Kyle Seeback, announced the funding at a news conference in Brampton.

The Conservative government will provide the council with $306,040 for a national project conducting work to counter violence committed in the name of so-called “honour” and other such gender-based abuse facing all women in Canada.

“It is only by working together and enhancing our knowledge and understanding of these issues that we will end all forms of violence against women and girls,” Leitch said.

According to the CCMW, the project, entitled Violence Against Women: Health and Justice for Canadian Muslim Women, will allow Muslim women, girls, men and boys to examine the impact of violence against women and girls within their community.

Tool kits, resources and training provided as part of the two-year project is also supposed to enable community-based service providers to better support clients of diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds in ending violence.

The project is intended to promote gender equality and tackle violence against women and girls from all cultures and communities, the CCMW explained. But it will explore and address issues of femicide, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and domestic violence.

Alia Hogben, Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, said the project will provide women with the tools to address violence and find help in their community.

As an emergency room physician, Leitch said she has seen how abused woman are impacted physically and emotionally, and also how this type of violence affects families and communities.

In some religions and cultures victims are afraid to speak out. Moreover, their community also avoids addressing the issue because of the stereotyping backlash and negative sentiment it raises in the broader Canadian community.

The first step is empowering victims to speak out, act and find help, suggested Leitch.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is also educate men,” she added.

Violence against women and girls prevent them from participating fully or contributing to society, Seeback said. It can be especially debilitating in a community like Brampton, with a large ethno-cultural population experiencing violence rooted in religious and cultural practices.

This project work could benefit many in Brampton, he explained.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Tories have made community safety a top priority for the government and introduced a growing list of legislative changes that seek to toughen laws and penalties for violent offenders and make the justice system more sensitive to the rights of victims.

These type of harmful cultural practices that target women are unacceptable in Canada, said Seeback.

“It’s the kind of violence that most Canadians would find particularly abhorrent,” he said.

CCMW will work with experts, legal specialists, counsellors and social workers to empower women and help community service agencies and professionals assist women dealing with violence.

The toolkit developed for service providers will be test-piloted in Ontario, and regional training sessions and workshops will be held across the country.

The original article can be found here: http://www.southasianfocus.ca/news/ottawa-commits-306k-to-fight-violence-against-women/