Inuit Well-Being: GBV Project

The Inuit Well-Being: Support for Inuit and their Families Affected by Gender-Based Violence Project is intended to address the disproportionate rate of Gender-based violence in the Ottawa Inuit Community. Over the course of this 5-year project, the GBV team will work with Inuuqatigiit Centre partners, clients and staff to document, validate and evaluate the Inuit-specific wrap-around model of service delivery.
For optimal expertise, advice and ongoing knowledge, the GBV team has worked in close partnership with Inuuqatigiit’s Youth Life Promotion Program to engage all youth in starting the converstion on topics such as: gender-based violence, local resources for youth and overall well-being. Click on the image on the right to read about the Youth-led Initiative.

Inuuqatigiit has been awarded five-year funding from the Department for Women and Gender Equality in a response to a call for concepts under the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Program.

Our Centre delivers programs and services to meet Inuit needs which include: licensed child care, head-start, Kindergarten, Early On Centre, afterschool programs, student support, youth programs, healing circles, individual support and counselling, court accompaniment, advocacy with child welfare, police, education, systems navigation, referrals, mental health programming, cultural community events, on the land culture camps.

The aim of the project is to test and evaluate Inuuqatigiit’s Inuit-specific wrap-around model of services addressing family mental/physical health, childcare, housing, culture and language, system navigation and advocacy. Our strengths-based approach reduces barriers for vulnerable individuals and families, builds capacity and contributes to better outcomes for Inuit children, youth, and their families who are affected by violence.

The project will identify service delivery gaps in supports for underserved populations of GBV survivors, and develop a blueprint model for stakeholders, advisors, and community members to become better equipped to address GBV in a culturally sensitive manner across the country. This funding initiative will run from 2019-2024 and will be guided by Inuit women with lived experience, elders, and advisory committee members, community partners.