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New Telus program equips at-risk Indigenous women with smartphones

The goal is to provide people with a digital lifeline to emergency services and their support networks

Telus is co-launching a new program to help Indigenous women who are “at risk or surviving violence” in partnership with four Indigenous community organizations in British Columbia.

The “Mobility for Good for Indigenous Women at Risk” program supplies free Telus smartphones and data plans that Indigenous organizations can distribute to women in their communities.

The idea behind the program is that having access to a smartphone with data gives someone at risk or surviving violence the ability to contact emergency services, access healthcare, and stay in touch with their support network of family and friends.

The press release cites the Final Report on Missing Murdered and Indigenous Women and Girls, which found that Indigenous women and girls “represent 24 percent of female homicide victims” and are “12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other women.”

The program was created through a collaboration between Telus and the Alberta Native Friendship Centres Association, the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, and the Native Courtworker and Counselling Association of British Columbia.

Other Indigenous-led organizations interested in participating in the program can get involved by sending an email to ConnectingforGood@telus.com.

Source: Telus

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