Manitoba NDP member Nahanni Fontaine speaks during question period at the Manitoba Legislature in Winnipeg, Wednesday, May 6, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
The Manitoba government will spend $3.5 million to open Winnipeg’s first 24-7 safe space for Indigenous women, operated by Ikwe Widdjiitiwin Inc.
The Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag Lodge will offer short-term shelter, cultural supports, counselling, a crisis line, and transportation for women at risk of violence or homelessness.
Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said the initiative aims to provide safety and healing, while Ikwe’s Kim Fontaine called it a critical step in protecting Indigenous women, who face violence at disproportionately high rates.
“It is about creating a space where our relatives can heal, connect to culture and move forward with strength and support,” Fontaine said on Thursday.
The project is part of Manitoba’s $20-million Mino’Ayaawag Ikwewag strategy responding to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
