News Releases

News Releases September 27, 1998 GOVERNMENT OF CANADA SUPPORTS WITH FUNDING WOMEN'S GROUPS AT LA MAISON PARENT-ROBACK

MONTREAL (Quebec)  -- The Honourable Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women), reiterated her support for Quebec women's organizations today at the official opening of La Maison Parent-Roback, a building housing a coalition of women's groups in old Montreal.

"La Maison Parent-Roback is an innovative model of co-operation among non-governmental organizations (NGO) and this building is a testament to what women can accomplish when they work together," said Dr. Fry. "I am pleased that we were able to assist with funding in the initial stages of this project and I look forward to a continued partnership with the NGO community and with the dedicated Quebec women working at the grassroots level."

With the benefit of funding provided to the coalition in its early stages through Relais-Femmes de Montreal inc. and, later, to La Maison Parent-Roback itself, Status of Women Canada (SWC) was able to help the coalition's dream of owning its own property become a reality. The federal government provided start-up funds for the feasibility study, assistance in communications and in the search for funding. Today, La Maison is supported by the private sector, other levels of government, unions and religious organizations.

"SWC has a long-standing relationship with many of the groups housed in La Maison Parent-Roback," said Dr. Fry. Today, she announced $400,000 in grants to four women's organizations in the coalition to undertake community-based action in Quebec.

Since April 1998, five other groups in the coalition have received a total of over $395,000 in funding for initiatives to advance women's equality. The four groups that had their funding requests confirmed today include:

• Conseil d'intervention pour l'accès des femmes au travail will receive $100,000 over two years for a multifaceted strategy to improve the situation of women in the workplace in Quebec.
• Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes will receive $76,000 over three years to work with the media, institutions such as the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and design schools to promote more healthy body images for women and girls and to discourage stereotyping of women in the media.
• Regroupement provincial des maisons d'hébergement et de transition pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale will receive $200,000 over two and a half years for a multifaceted strategy to reduce violence against women called "Prévenir, dépister, contrer la violence conjugale" (Prevent, detect and stop spousal violence).
• Fédération du Québec pour le planning des naissances will receive $30,000 to address issues related to improving family planning services in Quebec.

Funding for the Women's Program was provided for in the February 1998 federal budget and is, therefore, built into the existing fiscal framework.

Last updated: April 5, 2000