The Parity Process: engaging INAC support for Alberta On-Reserve Women s Emergency Shelters Kathy Bellerose, Executive Director, Sucker Creek Shelter Kate Woodman, PhD, Researcher, Alberta Council of Women s Shelters
The Parity Process I found a community that understood my pain and shame. It was a community willing to take me in, and teach me about my culture and heritage. I was accepted. I even got into an Aboriginal training program, partnered with a community college, and I got a diploma. Kim Ghostkeeper, Standing Together, (p.181)
ACWS is a collective voice for the 41 women s shelters in Alberta Through service provision, public awareness, research and policy interventions ACWS addresses the realities of Alberta s family violence environment Alberta leads the provinces in domestic assault, homicide-suicide, stalking and is second in domestic homicide Aboriginal women are three times more likely than non-aboriginal women to be victims of family violence More Aboriginal women experience serious forms of violence than non-aboriginal women
Statistics Alberta has the third largest Aboriginal population There are 5 on reserve shelters in Alberta, serving 44 First Nations reserves 3 on-reserve shelters serve north of Edmonton, one south of Edmonton and one west of Calgary On average 50% of women admitted into shelter across Alberta self-identify as Aboriginal
Profile of Alberta s On-Reserve Shelters (1 April 2004 31 March 2005) Two are provincially contracted Five receive INAC funding Together, they provide a total of 65 beds They served 1268 abused women and 1634 dependants 2 shelters additionally operate second stage programs 2 have partial data collected on the HOMES database
ACWS Governance ACWS has dedicated elected positions on the governing board for First Nations shelters Originally represented through the Aboriginal Advisory Board Committee, formed in order to provide guidance to ACWS and member shelters, on and off reserve, to serve the Aboriginal clients At the 2005 AGM the decision was taken to form a First Nations board committee that is directly mandated to foreground the work and needs of on-reserve shelters Two dedicated First Nations positions on the ACWS boardof and preventing access to the family income
ACWS & On-Reserve Shelter Work: Pathways Project on transportation barriers (funded by Alberta government) Danger Assessment training: risk assessment training for onreserve shelter staff (funded by ACWS and Pathways) Distance learning for the crisis intervention worker program with Portage College (ACWS bursary provision) HOMES database workshop: (funded by INAC) Parity Process: policy analysis and advocacy (funded by ACWS) RESOLVE Research Day and Aboriginal Policy Research Conference (upcoming): research presentations On-going member support
SEEKING PARITY In February 2005 ACWS published A Comparative Review and Evaluation: Seeking Parity Between On-Reserve Shelters and Shelters funded by the Province of Alberta. Analysis on staffing, administration, operations, facility and maintenance costs Respondents identified funding as the primary issue facing on-reserve shelters 50% difference in funding between provincially funded and on-reserve shelters On reserve shelters receive on average $200,000 less in annual operating funds than provincially funded shelters of the same size Totaling a difference of $1 million/year On-reserve crisis counselor earns about $23,000/year as compared to nearly $38,000/provincial counterpart The gap between provincially funded shelters and on-reserve has widened since the report Province added an outreach position and provided minor inflationary adjustments
SEEKING PARITY In view of the research results and in solidarity with the policy campaign, the Chiefs of Treaty 6, 7, and 8, during their Special Assembly on Health (March 2005), resolved to support ACWS s intervention work on behalf of its member on-reserve shelters. The resolution was passed unanimously and is ongoing.
INAC Funding Framework Currently spends $17 million annually on the Family Violence Prevention Program Of this, $7 million supports prevention programs $850,000 in Alberta $10 million provides operating costs for 35 on-reserve shelters 5 of these in Alberta In 1999 2000, INAC spent $15,000/year to fund a single on-reserve shelter bed whereas the Alberta government spends $25,000/year/bed Alberta s funding has doubled over five years for provincial shelters whereas INAC shelters have received negligible increases since 1994.
INAC Funding Framework No funding formula No long-term funding agreements/commitments No RBM framework for program or national guidelines No collection of data to evaluate the program on quality of services; need for the service; costs including wages to operate the shelter; level of services to non-residents and occupancy rates No follow-through on identified policy directives No data gathering system No research, documents, networking No special services for children exposed to family violence (counselors, liaison with schools, etc) No outreach or public education No family violence prevention strategy
Consequences to On-Reserve Shelters Staff provide food to the shelter Executive directors take cuts in pay to fund staff Shelters close down second stage beds Turnaways because the shelter is full Other
Canada s Global Commitments Canada has still not ratified the only international human rights treaty dealing specifically with the issue of violence against women, the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women. Canadian ratification of this treaty would strengthen the legal and institutional framework for protecting Indigenous women in Canada. This includes the provision of specialized shelters and social services for the victims of violence; education and training programs; gathering statistics and other relevant information. Canada received a bleak assessment, under the CCPR, regarding its treatment of Aboriginal peoples, especially Aboriginal women and children, regarding: the treatment of women prisoners; the discrimination practiced in matters of reserve membership and matrimonial real property on reserve lands the unacceptable numbers dying violent deaths the lack of statistical data on violence against Aboriginal women the lack of social funding and its detrimental impact
Seeking Harmony Along with finding a voice within the Canadian government system, at all levels, on-reserve shelters face obstacles with the Assembly of First Nations. Cited in a recent Edmonton Journal article, representatives of the AFN named family violence as a cherry-picked and sexy issue. ACWS wrote to Phil Fontaine to try to garner support for family violence to move this issue forward.
Quebec s Story 5 Aboriginal women s shelters receive a base funding of $150,000 in comparison with $250,000 for provincial counterparts Recent increases to provincial shelters in Quebec were instituted; the five Aboriginal women s shelters received nothing The Quebec Native Women s Association and the Native Women s Shelter Network Committee are currently advocating for parity between Quebec s on-reserve shelters with provincial counterparts, identifying a funding gap of $200,000/shelter.
Recommendations to Achieve Parity Letters to Andy Scott, Anne McLellan and Paul Martin First letters received little response Meetings with Anne McLellan and INAC representatives Media campaign to build public awareness and attract government response Letters received from Scott and McLellan promising intervention Media conference Follow up front page series by Karen Kleiss, Edmonton Journal Presentation of ACWS research at key policy forums for family violence, both public and private WCPFV; RESOLVE research day; APRC (upcoming) Ongoing letters to editors; the AFN; key government officials at all levels, ie Ministers of Justice, Status of Women Ongoing communication with key First Nations leaders in Alberta
There is a death here almost every week. It is really hard on the staff because they support these women. When that happens, we come into the circle, we pray, and then we make one more black mark on our list of women who have been in shelter. There are so many black marks on that list. Alberta on-reserve shelter director
Resources ACWS, A Comparative Review and Evaluation: Seeking Parity Between On-Reserve Shelters and Shelters Funded by the Province of Alberta. (February, 2005). Tasha Novick, lead researcher. Amnesty International. Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada. (2004). INAC, Audit Evaluation and Review, Evaluation of the Family Violence Prevention Program for First Nations. (June, 2004), Rosemary Trehearne and Associates. Karen Kleiss, On-Reserve Shelter Four Part Series. Edmonton Journal. 21-24 October 2005. Paula Simons. Aboriginal victims need power to break free: shelters on reserve woefully underfunded. Edmonton Journal, 25 October 2005. Sheila Swasson. Statement of the Condition of Aboriginal Women s Shelters. Unpublished fact sheet prepared with the Quebec Native Women s Association and the Native Women s Shelter Network Committee, (2005). Statistics Canada. Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, (2005). The Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Canada. 02/11/2005 (UN CCPR Committee on Canada s compliance with the Covenant).