In the spring of 2019, the Law Society of Nunavut and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada (Pauktuutit) joined forces to undertake a project that would break the silence on family violence in Nunavut.
Funded by the Law Foundation of Ontario and the Department of Justice Canada, this project involves a research study and an awareness campaign on the Family Abuse Intervention Act (FAIA). FAIA was created in Nunavut, based on Inuit principles and values, to prevent family abuse by providing Nunavummiut with the opportunity to get different types of orders to deal with family abuse, including Emergency Protection Orders against the abuser, and Community Intervention Orders.
The goal of this project is to understand the legal barriers and needs of Inuit women dealing with family violence in Nunavut.
Project Objectives
- Support Nunavummiut in recognizing family violence
- Provide Nunavummiut with a better understanding of what they can do to deal with family violence, including available options
- Understand how the Family Abuse Intervention Action is, or is not, meeting the needs of Inuit women deal with domestic abuse
- Open dialogue amongst Nunavummiut about what constitutes family violence, how to recognize family violence and what can be done to address family violence
The project consists of a research study that informed an awareness campaign launched in March 2021. The research study component of this project builds more evidence on what is known on how the implementation of the Family Abuse Intervention Act is, or is not, meeting the needs of Inuit women experiencing family violence.
Read the Final Report on Access to Justice on Family Violence in Nunavut launched on March 8, 2022: English; Inuktitut.
The Family Abuse Support Program – Toolkit and Training
As an extension of the LSN’s FAIA research study and awareness campaign, this initiative aims to create a web-based training platform featuring relevant content, resources, presentations, and curricula for both professionals and the public on the topic of family violence prevention. Topics covered in the training include: Safety planning, emergency protection orders, community intervention orders, stalking, and Elder abuse.
The toolkit will launch in Spring 2025 with an in-person training held in Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet.
