Rio Tinto supports work to prevent domestic and family violence

MONTREAL, Canada--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Rio Tinto is supporting organisations that work to prevent domestic violence and accompany victims in Canada.

Care is one of Rio Tinto’s core values, which translates into prioritising the physical and emotional safety and wellbeing of employees, contractors, their families and community members. Domestic abuse exists in all segments of society and affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians each year. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “more than 6,000 women and children sleep in shelters on any given night because it is not safe at home.”

Rio Tinto is taking action by contributing a total of CAD $355,000 to 14 organisations that provide shelters, counseling, education and training, workshops and activities for women, children and the LGBTQ+ community.

Rio Tinto will also organise activities for its employees to raise their awareness of the various facets of domestic violence. They will get the opportunity to hear testimonies from survivors, talk with representatives from local organisations and learn how to recognize the signs of violence so that they can better help those around them.

Last year, Rio Tinto donated CAD $360,000 to a dozen organisations to hire more front-line workers and expand services to meet increased needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Centre d’hébergement Tipinuaikan general manager Émilie Martineau Legault said: “We are very pleased to receive Rio Tinto's support for the second year in a row. Their funding last year made a real difference for women in precarious situations who were unable to get to our shelter due to COVID-19 measures in the community. Rio Tinto's donation allowed us to purchase a vehicle to transport these women to a safe place and provide them with access to our services.”

Rio Tinto Aluminium chief executive Ivan Vella said: “As a major employer in Canada, we have an important role to play in raising awareness of domestic violence through supporting the invaluable work of community organisations and taking action ourselves. Rio Tinto has developed its own training program and we have also implemented measures to support employees experiencing violence and their family members, including access to paid leave, 24 hours support services, short-term financial assistance and emergency accommodation.”

The organisations Rio Tinto is supporting are:

• Centre de santé de Ekuanitshit, Ekuanitshit, Quebec
• Centre d’hébergement Tipinuaikan, Uashat mak Mani-utenam, Quebec
• Centre féminin du Saguenay, Saguenay, Quebec
• Centre le Volet des Femmes, Aguanish, Quebec
• Diversité 02, Saguenay, Quebec
• Ksan House Society, Terrace, British Columbia
• Labrador West Status of Women Centre, Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador
• La Passerelle, Alma, Quebec
• Maison des femmes de Sept-Îles, Sept-Îles, Quebec
• Maison La Source, Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
• Native Women's shelter of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
• Omineca Safe Home Society, Vanderhoof, British Columbia
• SOS violence conjugale, Montreal, Quebec
• Yellowknife Women’s Society, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

Rio Tinto is also donating CAD $10,000 to White Ribbon Canada in support of their 30^th anniversary campaign which supports boys and men through education, awareness-raising, outreach, technical assistance, capacity building, and partnerships. White Ribbon programming challenges negative, outdated concepts of manhood and inspires men to be a part of positive change.