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By rdnewsNOW staff

10-Year Strategy

Province aiming to break the cycle of gender-based violence

Jul 31, 2025 | 11:36 AM

The Alberta government says it is advancing its 10-year strategy, Building on Our Strengths, by investing in programs that help men and boys prevent gender-based violence.

The province says it is investing in prevention-focused initiatives to stop violence before it starts. One-time grants totalling $720,000 are expected to support three community-led programs that promote healthy relationships, emotional well-being and positive role modelling among men and boys. The government says these programs help create the necessary conditions for healing and long-term safety.

Provincial officials say gender-based violence affects people of all ages, genders and backgrounds across Alberta. With two in three women and one in three men experiencing sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the province, officials say there is a clear need to support prevention efforts that include and engage men and boys.

“Men and boys are key partners in our work to end gender-based violence and this funding strengthens programs that build safer communities for everyone,” explains Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women. “I am grateful to the front-line workers leading that change and helping to break the cycle of violence today.”

The government says this investment delivers on Priority 2: Prevent gender-based violence before it begins, as outlined in Building on Our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-Year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence. Officials say the strategy commits to supporting targeted prevention programs that engage and mobilize more men and boys as partners in stopping violence at its roots.

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“Ending gender-based violence means engaging everyone – especially men and boys,” states Rechie Valdez, federal Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism). “Through our federal government’s National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, we’re proud to support Alberta’s efforts to create safe, supportive spaces where healing is nurtured and violence is stopped before it starts.”

Provincial officials say these programs go beyond prevention, offering safe, supportive spaces where men and boys can heal, grow and reconnect with their communities after experiencing violence. The government says trusted community organizations will deliver these services to those at risk of experiencing or committing harm.

“Preventing gender-based violence requires a collaborative approach including men,” shares Kim Ruse, CEO, Fear is Not Love Society. “We are pleased to see the government support Men now and in the future as part of its 10-Year Strategy. We look forward to using this investment to advance data-driven strategies to create a future free from domestic violence and abuse.”

“Culturally rooted support for Indigenous men and boys is crucial to preventing gender-based violence,” explains Joanne Mason, CEO, Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association. “The Government of Alberta’s financial support of the I Am A Kind Man program helps Friendship Centres build capacity to be an essential catalyst for the development of respectful relationships founded on traditional values.”

“If we are going to be successful in preventing gender-based violence, we need to go upstream and stop the violence before it starts,” says Reave MacLeod, co-acting CEO, YWCA Banff. “This funding is supporting three rural Alberta communities to look closely at the social conditions that allow violence to take root – and identify how local leaders can help change those conditions to create safer, healthier communities.”

In addition to this targeted grant, Alberta’s government says it continues investing more than $188 million in province-wide supports. This includes emergency shelters, safe transportation, legal assistance and other critical supports.

Alberta government quick facts

• Men and boys are by gender-based violence both as victims and perpetrators, with one-third of Canadian men experiencing some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
• The $720,000 investment expands three ongoing community-led initiatives that engage men and boys in violence prevention. The grant recipients are:
  • Fear is Not Love Society – $280,000 ($210,000 in 2024–25, $70,000 in 2025–26)
  • Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association (ANFCA) – $200,000
  • Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Banff – $240,000
• The grant includes $650,000 in federal funding for 2024–25 as part of the bilateral agreement under the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence.

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