Rio Tinto Takes Action to Prevent Domestic and Family Violence
For the third year in a row, Rio Tinto is supporting the 16 Days of Activism, an international campaign that raises awareness about gender-based violence. The company is also supporting organisations working with women, children and members of the LGBTQ+ community affected by domestic violence to help them rebuild their lives.
This year, Rio Tinto has substantially increased its contribution to local organisations that assist victims of domestic violence.
“I’m convinced that we have an important role to play in preventing domestic violence,” said Martin Lavoie, Operations Director, P155. “To this end, we have provided over 1,100 staff employees with training that helps them recognise when others, including co-workers, may be victims of domestic violence.”
A donation of $25,000 was given to three organisations in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region: the Centre de Femmes au Quatre-Temps (Alma), the CALACS (Saguenay) and the Maison d’hébergement le Rivage de La Baie et du Bas-Saguenay.
Rio Tinto’s support is hugely important to these three organisations, which manage to help many people despite limited financial means.
According to Nathalie Lapointe, Director of the Centre de Femmes au Quatre-Temps, a support centre for women aged 14 and over, Rio Tinto’s donation will allow the centre to implement new initiatives. “We will be able to add activities and improve services focused on domestic violence,” she explained.
For the CALACS du Saguenay, a specialised resource that combats sexual violence, Rio Tinto’s donation will be impactful in preventing sexual assault and opening a dialogue on this topic.
“We are grateful for these funds, which will help us prevent sexual violence and deploy our program Empreinte – Agir ensemble contre les agressions à caractère sexuel more widely in high schools in our area,” said Geneviève Larouche, a social worker responsible for the interim administration of the CALACS du Saguenay.
Rio Tinto’s donation will also have a tangible impact for the Maison d’hébergement Le Rivage de La Baie et du Bas-Saguenay, a non-profit organisation that helps women who are victims of violence and their children, offering them shelter, support and accompaniment. “We are pleased to benefit from this partnership with Rio Tinto,” said Carole Tremblay, Executive Director of the Maison d’hébergement Le Rivage. “It will allow us to improve accessibility to our housing services for women and children with disabilities by installing an elevator and adapting certain spaces.”
The 16 days of activism targeting gender-based violence (#OurActionsMatter) begins on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) and ends on 10 December (Human Rights Day).
Video (in French only):
