I just found out about Friends of Transition Houses (http://www.friendsoftransitionhouses.blogspot.com/), a new blog created by women involved in a campaign to increase the operating budgets of transition houses in Nova Scotia. A recent post states that:
The Friends of Transition Houses Network is asking you all to remember when the Nova Scotia Politicians come knocking ask them this...
If elected to office will you INCREASE transition house operating budgets so that they can keep up with inflation?
Remind them that in these tough times, many people have to cut back on their donations to not-for-profit organizations. Even the Department of Community Services says that these tough times mean more people will turn to transition houses, the need is projected to be greater, yet the funding is insufficient.
Blogger Lori Walton raises a good point that although the NDP has included funding for transition houses and women's centres in its electoral platform, the amount they have committed ($500,000) is not enough to raise the operational budgets of transition houses to meet the cost of living (nor, it seems, will it provide fair and competitive salaries for women's centres).
Let's join together with our sisters struggling for better funding for transition houses. It reminds me of the old labour movement slogan:
An injury to one is an injury to all.
Together, we can end the structural violence against women and girls imposed by our political and economic system. Let's move forward in solidarity!
For over 20 years transition houses have been requesting 100% funding...lets demand that this is a real priority -that is the safety of women and children and services for men who abuse - if this is really a priority then the funding needs to be there to make it happen. Stop funding research that brings about the same outcome-put the $'s into existing services that are already struggling- like the transition houses....
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