Native Women’s Association forced to lay off half its staff amid funding shortfall
OTTAWA — The Native Women’s Association of Canada says it has been forced to lay off roughly half its workforce due to a major shortfall in federal funding.
The organization — which advocates on behalf of Indigenous women and girls as well as two-spirit, transgender and gender-diverse people — said it received grants totalling $48 million last year as part of Canada’s national apprenticeship program and other initiatives.
This year, revenue dropped to just $10 million, with funding for staff at just $3 million, down from $11 million in 2023, forcing the layoffs of 75 contract and permanent staff members, roughly half its workforce.
“We have a genocide on our hands in Canada. It’s daunting every single day,” chief executive Lynne Groulx said in an interview Wednesday.