The NWT Status of Women Council and Gahcho Kué Mine have partnered to offer new safety planning resources for women facing intimate partner violence in the NWT.
The project includes a one-time grant of $65,000 from De Beers Group and Mountain Province Diamonds, $25,000 from NWT Victims Assistance Committee, and in-kind contributions from the Status of Women Council.
Once developed, the safety planning resources will enable women to put together individualized safety plans in a discreet and safe manner, using a new Safety Planning App.
NWT Status of Women Council Executive Director Louise Elder says everyone deserves to feel and be safe in their homes, their workplaces, and their communities.
“These safety planning resources will meet the need for discreet, timely, and accurate information to help women and their children stay safe,” she adds.
Elder says this project will fulfil one of the recommendations from the council’s ‘We Hear You’ report based upon interviews with women who have experienced intimate partner violence.
“The report, released in 2020, included 21 recommendations on how to improve services available to women experiencing intimate partner violence,” she adds.
Gahcho Kué Mine General Manager Lyndon Clark says everyone must be able to live with dignity and it is very important to enable individuals who face domestic violence to safely exit from these situations.
“We have a zero-tolerance approach to domestic violence, whether it takes place in the workplace or in the home, and we’re proud to support development of critical resources to assist people in need throughout the NWT,” he adds.
