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Media Contacts

Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General

Media Relations
250 213-3602

Backgrounders

Victim services and violence against women programs in B.C.
  • Since 2015, government has been working to introduce and provide direct services for perpetrators of domestic violence prior to involvement in the criminal justice system.
  • To better meet the ongoing need for programs and services, government increased annual funding in Budget 2018. Starting in 2018-19, annual funding increased by $5 million, which will be increased by an additional $3 million in 2020-21 — a total increase of $18 million over three years.
  • The Province funds a range of services to support victims of sexual violence and provides a total of more than $37 million in annual funding to support over 400 victim services and violence against women programs throughout the province.
  • The ministry also continues to prioritize addressing violence against women through the Civil Forfeiture Crime Prevention and Remediation Grant Program.
    • In March 2019, the ministry awarded over $3.1 million in to support community-led projects that address domestic violence and sexual assault, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and vulnerable women in the sex trade, Indigenous healing and rebuilding, and projects that enhance the capacity and improve the services of child and youth advocacy centres. 
    • $368,000 of the Civil Forfeiture Crime Prevention and Remediation Program grant funding supports 13 community-led projects that address the prevention and intervention of domestic violence by developing and/or delivering services to men and boys. Projects funded range from educational programs to encourage healthy relationships among young men and boys, to counselling to support men who are at risk of using domestic violence in relationships, to group programming for men who have used violence and abuse in relationships.