The federal government insists it is spending money in the effort to reduce the problem of violence against Aboriginal women.
Susan Truppe, the Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women, says her department has approved $5.5 million on projects aimed at reducing violence against Aboriginal women over the past two years.
The issue came to light this week when the government put out a call for proposals to end violence against women.
The NDP was critical of the fact the government made no mention of the specific problem of violence against Aboriginal women, and didn’t earmark any funds for Aboriginal groups — but Truppe says they can still apply if they want to:
“This is actually for all communities. It’s not specific for Aboriginal women, but I can tell you that, since 2007, Status of Women Canada has approved more than $54 million in funding for projects to end violence against women and girls.”
She adds for-profit organizations are also eligible for funding.