Victoria/Fraser Valley – Sexual assaults predominately affect women, girls and gender-diverse people. Indigenous and other racialized women and girls, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, sex workers, people with disabilities, and individuals experiencing poverty or homelessness are most at risk of being targeted with violence. Many survivors are hesitant to report sexual assault due to a distrust of the criminal justice system and the fear that they will not be believed.
To support the recovery of survivors, the Province is providing stable, annual funding for 68 new sexual assault programs that will deliver co-ordinated, community-based services throughout British Columbia. The ministry will add more new programs and supports this year, including five regional sexual assault centres that will provide dedicated co-located spaces to deliver wraparound services for survivors of sexual assault.
“Sexualized violence is deeply traumatic and has devastating effects on survivors, families and communities,” said Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “Too many people face gender-based violence in communities across B.C., with women, girls, and gender-diverse people being disproportionately affected. Stable, reliable funding to support dedicated sexual assault programs, as well as these new police standards build on other life-saving work to support survivors across the province, including counselling, outreach and crisis support, and victim-service programs.”
Paddon on X (Twitter) –
Sexualized violence is deeply traumatic and has devastating effects on survivors, families, and communities.
We have heard loud and clear that stable funding for programs and services that support survivors is vital, and that many survivors experience barriers to reporting sexual assaults including fear of not being believed.
That is why I was proud to join Mike Farnworth today to announce that the Province is providing stable funding for sexual assault services and implementing new policing standards on responding to sexual assaults.
Today is a fundamentally important step in our government’s work to take action to end sexualized and gender-based violence in BC.
