Yellowknife Women exiting homelessness may soon face hopeful employment prospects following a new Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society social enterprise project. 

The Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society, though in the early stages, is conducting market research on the best ways of creating job opportunities for the street involved population. 

SA国际影视传媒淭he women we serve, who are nearly all First Nations, Inuit or Metis, experience a lot of racism, classism and sexism in their searches for employment,SA国际影视传媒� said Neesha Rao, interim executive director of the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society.

SA国际影视传媒淭he goal is to create job opportunities targeted towards women who are exiting homelessness and to give them valuable life skills so they can gain employment in the future.SA国际影视传媒�

While the market research has only just begun, Rao intends to make use of the former Arnica Inn the society bought earlier this year. The building, which the society has renamed to Spruce Bough, has a commercial kitchen, washer and dryer, as well as cafe space that Rao said serve as possible employment opportunities for their clients.

Rao could not yet speak to the projectSA国际影视传媒檚 timeline. She said the WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society will be issuing a request for proposals and will then select a contractor based on submissions.

The project is made possible by a $50,000 grant from the Canadian WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 FoundationSA国际影视传媒檚 Investment Readiness Program (IRP) SA国际影视传媒� a funding program that aims to boost womenSA国际影视传媒檚 participation in the workforce. 

The Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒� Society is one of 28 organizations approved for the funding. In total, IRP aims to support 40. 

Sagal Dualeh, Canadian WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Foundation IRP director, said the approved projects are all at various stages of development. In addition to the funding, Dualeh explained the foundation provides workshops and training to help grant recipients implement their plans.  

Working with the Canadian WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Foundation has been SA国际影视传媒渁 great opportunitySA国际影视传媒� for the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society to SA国际影视传媒渟trengthen (their) capacitySA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒渢o strengthen the capacity for financial independence for a lot of (their) clients as well,SA国际影视传媒� Rao said.  

Other projects supported by the IRP include an online learning centre and organizations exploring food security solutions. 

Dualeh said the Canadian WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Foundation is pleased to support the Yellowknife WomenSA国际影视传媒檚 Society. The IRP projects, she said, are especially important now as the pandemic has had SA国际影视传媒渁 unique impact on women and girls and two spirited people.SA国际影视传媒� 

Rao echoed the sentiment. 

Reduced day shelter capacities and fewer economic opportunities are just a few examples Rao provided in which Covid has disproportionately impacted already vulnerable groups.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think that the Covid-19 pandemic has really exposed a lot of the fault lines in our society that were there before,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淲hat we can do is try to strengthen organizations like ours that support this population, but also to give people a chance to be lifted up and to survive in our economy.SA国际影视传媒�