Aboriginal Women's Programming Elements – Aboriginal Peoples' Program

As the Aboriginal Women’s Programming Elements (AWPE) is a part of the Aboriginal Peoples’ Program (APP), you are required to provide the information requested in the General Application Requirements along with the additional information requested for AWPE.

Objectives

The objectives of the Women’s Community Initiative are:

  • to influence public policy and decision-making related to concerns and aspirations of Aboriginal women;
  • to maintain the cultural distinctiveness and preserve the cultural identity of Aboriginal women;
  • to enhance and develop strong leadership capabilities, individual and collective skills and talents, so that Aboriginal women can play a central role in their own communities as well as participate effectively in Canadian society; and
  • to undertake projects to improve the social and economic conditions of their community.

The objectives of the Family Violence Initiative[*] are:

  • to examine and address issues of violence in immediate and extended Aboriginal families; and
  • to develop holistic and culturally-appropriate responses to family violence.

The objectives of the Self-Government Initiative are:

  • to develop Aboriginal women’s positions, strategies and research on Aboriginal self-government;
  • to participate and partner with other Aboriginal and women’s groups/organizations as well as Aboriginal governments on self-government initiatives; and
  • to communicate with and inform Aboriginal women on this very critical issue affecting their lives and those of their children and families.
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is responsible for administering funding under the Family Violence Initiative for First Nations women living on-reserve. Information for Family Violence Initiative funding for First Nations can be found at: Family Violence Prevention Program for First Nations.

Eligible Recipients

In addition to the eligible recipients found in theAPPGeneral Application Requirements, eligible recipients include not-for-profit, autonomous Aboriginal women controlled:

  • organizations;
  • independent community groups; and
  • ad-hoc committees.

Please note, the following are not eligible to apply for funding:

  • individuals;
  • non-Aboriginal organizations;
  • for-profit organizations;
  • federal departments and agencies; and
  • provincial/territorial and municipal governments and their agencies.

Eligible Activities

Women’s Community Initiative activities must be community-based, culturally relevant, and may address one or more of the following issues. (Please note, the following are examples and not an exhaustive list):

  • Organizational/Skill Development and Capacity Building;
  • Rebuilding Cultural Strength;
  • Political Awareness and Representation;
  • Policy and Legislative Change;
  • Youth and Family Concerns; and
  • Economic Development and Independence.

Family Violence Initiative activities must focus on one or more of the following specific issues:

  • expanding the information base on family violence in Aboriginal communities;
  • examining innovative, holistic, and traditional healing methods;
  • developing community and culturally-appropriate models;
  • assisting new communities to lay foundations and seek partners for long-term family violence initiatives;
  • exploring partnerships that combine holistic/culturally appropriate approaches with conventional mainstream approaches;
  • examining the application of new technology in addressing family violence in off-reserve communities, particularly for addressing the needs of Aboriginal youth; and
  • developing Aboriginal leadership and expertise in the field of family violence.

Self-Government Initiative activities must focus on one or more of the following specific issues:

  • fostering the involvement of Aboriginal women in existing and new women’s organizations both on boards and as members to address self-government issues;
  • supporting the full participation and partnering of Aboriginal women’s groups and organizations with Aboriginal organizations and governments in negotiating and implementing self-government;
  • developing Aboriginal women as community leaders and volunteers in the field of self-government;
  • creating community and information networks on the issue of self-government; and
  • developing/strengthening communications links, which will enable Aboriginal women and their organizations to interact with the local Aboriginal community or government on self-government initiatives.

Eligible Expenditures

In addition to the eligible expenditures found in the APP General Application Requirements, and subject to ministerial approval eligible expenditures must be directly related to the project activities and may include meeting expense related to the project and issue specific newsletters.

Ineligible Expenditures

In addition to the ineligible expenditures found in the APP General Application Requirements, expenditures under theAWPE related to the following are ineligible:

  • core funding costs for organizations including:
    • staffing
    • committees in the context of the ongoing governance structure of organizations
    • institutions
    • training organizations
    • commercial enterprises
    • professional industries
  • regular annual general, executive or board meetings of an organization or association; and
  • on-going organizational newsletters