HALIFAX: The Rural Communities Foundation of Nova Scotia (RCFNS) announced funding of $200,000 to 10 initiatives to support women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse individuals working towards a future grounded in equity, inclusion and justice.
Among the Communities For Gender Equality Fund Recipients, 2023 was Potlotek First Nation which received $15,000 for the project “Apoqn’multiek Epi’jik.”
The RCFNS said the fund is part of a partnership with Community Foundations of Canada, funded through the Government of Canada. RCFNS said it is one of 21 local community foundations from coast to coast to coast that are taking part. In total, these community foundations are granting over $3.4 million towards the gender equality movement, the foundation noted.
“We are thrilled to support these 10 organizations who are working on the ground to advance gender equality in our community,” said Penny Cooper Executive Director, RCFNS. “Investing in their work and this movement is key to supporting women who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. We can work towards a just recovery by tackling systemic issues like racism, wage inequality, and gender-based violence. Along with the other 20 participating community foundations, we are committed to creating lasting systems-change in philanthropy, by writing gender equality into our investment practices and organizational policies. As the year progresses, we look forward to sharing more about this journey.”
The RCFNS said it has funded organizations at the “heart” of the women’s movement, with a focus on those that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships.
This funding spans a variety of purposes, the RCFNS said, including efforts to pilot new initiatives, to address long-standing community needs, or to support a just recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foundation said initiatives themselves may touch on a wide range of areas that are affected by gender equality, including food insecurity, income inequality, racial injustice, domestic violence, and many more. In particular, the fund prioritizes initiatives that are self-led; those that are led by the same groups that they focus on serving.
“Community organizations led by and dedicated to supporting women, girls, gender-diverse and Two-Spirit individuals are at the centre of the movement towards gender equality and equity,” said Andrea Dicks, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) President. “While this can feel daunting at times, these organizations demonstrate tenacity, resiliency and hope as they shift power. To create communities of true belonging and to recover from the pandemic, we must advance gender equality across the country. We’re grateful for the financial support from the Government of Canada and the leadership of RCFNS who is taking part in these efforts.”
A registered charity, the RCFNS said it is a community foundation that supports community organizations in rural Nova Scotia, through conveying fund development and granting.