Carrier Sekani Family Services is welcoming Premier Christy Clark's long-term strategy to combat domestic violence in B.C. but remains skeptical until the plan is put into action.
"There are extremely detailed reports from the past 10 years that outline hundreds of recommendations, but these reports sit on shelves gathering dust. It is time to see these plans put into action," CSFS said in a statement.
On Friday, Clark released a "Violence Free B.C." strategy and said the province will apportion $3 million in civil forfeiture funds this year to pay for a new domestic violence unit in Surrey, local support services and an awareness campaign.
The government says more than 12,300 instances of intimate-partner violence were reported to police in 2013, while 113 woman died as a result of domestic violence in the past decade.
The strategy will also boost prevention programs in schools, develop a provincial sexual assault policy and improve culturally-appropriate job programs for aboriginal women who are rebuilding their lives after experiencing violence.
CSFS said the strategy is built around preventing violence, responding to violence and rebuilding after violence and of those, prevention is key.
"We have spent enough time educating girls and young women on how to stay safe," CSFS said in apparent reference to the provincial government's emphasis on the $100,000 granted to CSFS to hold safety training workshops along Highway 16.
"It is time to educate boys and young men on the importance of respecting women and building healthy relationships."
In answer to the school-based programs, CSFS said teachings must go beyond the classroom.
"It is time to address the systemic issues that increase the risk of violence and abuse," CSFS said.
"Poverty, geography and health factors are mentioned in the report, but this should be where prevention begins."
Clark said the province is also committed to fulfilling recommendations from the Missing Women's Inquiry, although she said she didn't want to criticize the RCMP for reducing the number of officers on an investigative task force.
Documents revealed earlier this week that the RCMP cut six officers from its Highway of Tears investigation after warning government that provincial cuts would hinder the investigation, but Clark countered by saying the province actually boosted the RCMP budget last year by $5 million.
The strategy states the provincial government will work with "federal, provincial and territorial governments to take targeted action," CSFS noted.
"Has the federal government taken part in this conversation? Are they committed to a violence free Canada?" CSFS said.
"We can only hope that this strategy, along with the startling statistics from the recent RCMP National Overview, inspires the federal government to step up and take responsibility for this issue.
"Due to the fact that aboriginal women are disproportionally represented in cases of missing persons and are much more likely to experience extreme forms of violence we believe that there should be a separate strategy to address violence against Aboriginal women and we look forward to being a part of that discussion."
-- with files from
The Canadian Press
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