The federal government is providing $2.4 million in funding to two organizations that are working to address sexual harassment in Canadian workplaces.
These organizations — Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia and the Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies — are aimed at improving access to justice for individuals who experience sexual harassment in their workplace, according to a press release.
The funding follows a $2.7-million investment, earlier this month, by the federal government in the Canadian Women’s Foundation, AfterMeToo and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network to create an online tool that will educate employees who’ve experienced workplace harassment or violence about their legal rights and how to report their experiences.
Read: Feds investing $2.7M in online tool for understanding workplace harassment laws
The Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia will provide public legal education and information and establish a lawyer referral program to provide independent free legal advice to people who have been sexually harassed in the workplace. The Canadian Association of Statutory Human Rights Agencies will launch an online course to support employers to prevent and address sexual harassment in workplaces.
“Everyone should have the right to a workplace free of sexual harassment,” said David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada, in the release. “It is essential that we increase support for victims of workplace sexual harassment and access to justice across Nova Scotia and across Canada. I am proud to support these organizations and their initiatives that will address this very serious issue and help provide a safe workplace.”
Read: Government releases results of workplace harassment, violence consultation