New centre to research gender-based violence and disseminate knowledge

A new centre of excellence on gender-based violence (GBV) will receive $77.5 million over five years and $16 million annually thereafter as part of the Liberal government’s new gender-based violence strategy. The Gender-Based Violence Knowledge Centre will be housed within Status of Women Canada to undertake research, data collection and programming with responsibility for disseminating and sharing knowledge and data with other levels of government and front-line workers. Funding for the strategy and centre of excellence was announced in the latest federal Budget providing $100.9 million over five year starting in FY17-18, and $20.7 million in ongoing funding. In addition to the centre, the strategy will support the Public Health Agency of Canada ($9.5 million) to test and implement ways to prevent GBV, Public Safety Canada ($6 million) to tackle online child exploitation, the Department of National Defence ($4 million) to support members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families affected by violence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ($2.4 million) for cultural competency training and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ($1.5 million) to enhance its settlement program.