One organization in Lillooet and one in Lytton have received funding totalling $22,380 from the province’s civil forfeiture program toward combating violence against women.
“These programs are essential for educating all residents about the far-reaching effects of violence against women,” Fraser-Nicola MLA Jackie Tegart said. “Education is key, because the more people know, the better equipped they will be to prevent it.”
In Lillooet, a grant of $17,380 will go to the Xaxli’p First Nation’s program, Giving a Strong Voice to Aboriginal Women.
The program supports a three-day workshop by a Certified Traditional Healer specializing in supporting women who have experienced domestic violence. The goal is to empower women and help them heal and rebuild from violence.
In Lytton, a $5,000 grant will go to the Nlha’7kampx Child and Family Services Society’s Community Awareness Training on Violence.
The program educates front-line service providers of the local First Nations bands on how violence against women impacts women, children, family and extended family through a two-day seminar on recognizing signs of abuse and how to support women who experience violence.
This year, the priority focus for civil forfeiture proceeds is on initiatives about violence against women, through the Violence Free BC initiative, as it will be in years to come. Other areas where funding was made available included serving victims through restorative justice, community and youth crime prevention, and police training and equipment.
Since the civil forfeiture program became active, it has returned approximately $15 million from successful forfeiture actions to crime prevention and victims programs in B.C.
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