The government of Canada is providing 21 organizations with $4 million for projects designed to make women safer on university and college campuses.

On Tuesday, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, made the announcement that the government is calling for proposals for projects that will help improve the safety of women on post-secondary campuses.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the worldwide 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence initiative, which began on November 25th and ends on December 10th.

Staff sergeant security manager at McMaster University Cathy O’Donnell said that as a member of an advisory group for women’s safety on campuses, these programs are vital for making students feel safe at school.

“We have an advisory group that is working with a partnership from the YWCA and SACHA [Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area],” said O’Donnell. “It is bringing us all together to look at women’s safety and what we can do to enhance it.”

O’Donnell also said that McMaster does not have a particular problem with violence against women, saying that the statistics for assaults against women are quite low compared to similarly sized university populations elsewhere.

Mohawk College media representative Jay Robb said Mohawk also prides itself on keeping its female population safe, especially after dark, with the Walk Smart Program on campus.

“We would encourage any woman who’s here on campus at night to make use of that service going back and forth to their car,” said Robb. “The safety of every student is paramount.”

Several women at Mohawk are aware of these services offered already, and feel safe at the school. Student Jen Beckley has never felt unsafe at Mohawk but agrees that there is still a need for these safety programs.

“At Mohawk, I feel completely safe,” said Beckley. “This is a really good school; everybody seems to get along.”

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence concludes on December 10th, four days after the anniversary of the 1989 massacre at a Quebec university, in which fourteen women were killed because of their gender.