Harper Government Highlights Action to End Violence Committed in the Name of so-called "Honour"

OTTAWA, March 8, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, is marking International Women's Week (IWW) by highlighting Harper Government action to eliminate violence against women and girls committed in the name of so-called "honour."

"Our government is committed to protecting women and girls and other vulnerable persons from all forms of violence and to holding offenders accountable for their acts. We have been very clear: so-called "honour" killings are barbaric, and like all family homicides, represent a serious violation of Canadian laws," said Minister Ambrose. "As Minister for Status of Women, I am proud that our government continues to take strong action to ensure the equality, safety and security of women and girls in communities across Canada. We are committed to ending violence against women and girls in all its forms, including violence committed in the name of so-called "honour.""

The Harper Government has made its position clear on the topic of violence committed in the name of so-called "honour" by condemning the practice in the new Citizenship Guide, and being the first to provide funding specifically for immigrant women's organizations across the country to address this highly complex issue. This funding is supporting projects like the Indo Canadian Women's Association's project Elimination of Harmful Cultural Practices: A Community-Centred Approach for Education and Action and the Shield of Athena Family Services project Contributing to the Prevention of Honour Crimes and Violence against Women and Girls: Developing a Community Screening, Information and Training Strategy.

Last fall, the Harper Government issued a call for proposals seeking projects that work to end violence against women and girls committed in the name of so-called "honour." The supported projects will build partnerships between community agencies and stakeholders in order to better identify and respond to the specific needs of women and girls from diverse ethno-cultural communities. The participating organizations will develop and implement a collaborative multi-agency strategy, with the goal of preventing violence and improving the safety and security of women who are at risk of, or have experienced, violence in the name of so-called "honour."

The Harper Government is committed to supporting projects that yield concrete results for women and girls in Canada, while strengthening families and communities. Since 2006, Status of Women Canada has approved close to $57 million in funding for such projects. The Harper Government also recently launched the End Violence Against Women and girls resource website at women.gc.ca/violence.

The Harper Government recently endorsed the COMMIT initiative put forward by UN Women asking governments everywhere to be part of global efforts aimed at ending violence against women and girls. Canada continues to implement a wide range of initiatives to reduce and prevent violence against women and girls, and urges other nations to do the same.

IWW takes place this year from March 3 to 9, with its highlight, International Women's Day on March 8. For further information, please visit the Status of Women Canada web site at http://www.iwd.gc.ca.

SOURCE: Status of Women Canada