REGINA - Organizations who support survivors of sexual violence are joining together to oppose federal funding cuts impacting their organizations.
Sexual Assault Services of Saskatchewan – a provincial non-profit that works to provide support and advocacy for those impacted by sexual violence - is among over 320 organizations across Canada that have joined in a statement to Prime Minister Mark Carney calling for restoration of full funding to the Department for Women and Gender Equality, or WAGE Canada.
A news release from SASS this week points to concerns that WAGE Canada will see its budget slashed by 80 per cent. They cite numbers from the Government of Canada website, which point to planned statutory and voted-on spending of $407 million in 2025, but only $76 million committed for 2027.
This has led to worry that WAGE Canada will see massive cuts. YWCA Canada recently wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister, saying cuts will be devastating for those who rely on it.
“The Prime Minister has asked departments to find 15 per cent in cuts by 2028-29, yet 80 per cent of WAGE’s budget is on the chopping block. Where is the gender-based analysis?” their letter read.
“An 80 per cent budget reduction is not routine budget tightening. This is a decimation of life-saving and life-changing programs, advancing gender-based analysis, and promoting systemic change for women’s rights and gender equality. With these drastic cuts, the department will, in effect, only exist as a shell. Impacts will be felt far beyond the department. The proposed cuts will severely undermine national and local feminist organizations, shelters, sexual assault services, and victim services.”
In Saskatchewan, SASS has expressed concern about what it means for the province
“SASS over the years through WAGE funding has been able to facilitate research, collect data, hear firsthand from survivors, get survivors' voices to policymakers, that bridge to policymakers,” said Kerrie Isaac, Executive Director of SASS.
“We've been able to develop training for frontline agencies to be able to facilitate in their communities, so build capacity. And we've also been able to for policy advocacy to leadership on this issue to propose a policy agenda for sexual violence in Saskatchewan given the high rates that we do have.”
SASS notes that WAGE Canada has provided funding for several SASS initiatives, including two comprehensive research projects on the sexual violence landscape in Saskatchewan, as well as creation of the Sexual Violence in Saskatchewan Action Plan, among others. They also provided funds to SASS’ frontline member agencies including $20.3 million to Saskatchewan shelters, human trafficking intervention organizations, and sexual violence support services under the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.
“WAGE has allowed us to have a commitment and a committed support for the sector,” said Isaac.
“WAGE has plans to invest $20 million into gender-based violence prevention and response in Saskatchewan. So this funding would support frontline services and loss to this would be a massive job loss across the sector. And already this sector does a lot for little.“
Isaac noted the province has the second-highest sexual violence rates in the country.
She also pointed to statistics showing Saskatchewan women and girls are victimized at twice the rate as men, and that in particular are affected two-thirds of Indigenous women and girls experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
But Isaac emphasized the impact of cuts to WAGE Canada will be nationwide, and they are joining other similar organizations across Canada in opposing it.
“We're part of a national movement. We're also a founding member and a board member of the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada. So they are doing their efforts at a national level and hoping for some communication with the ministry and potentially ministry officials and trying to get some answers and figure out what's happening there.”
