Iqaluit (Sep 11/06) - Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada launched last week the first national strategy to prevent abuse in Inuit communities.

Leesie Naqitarvik: Pauktuutit manager of abuse issues says communities lack many of the services available to southern communities. Pauktuutit's national advisory committee on abuse prevention in Inuit communities has identified six priorities: Making abuse in Inuit communities a priority issue Raising awareness and reducing tolerance of abuse Investing in training and capacity development Sustaining frontline workers and community services Delivering services that heal the Inuit Expanding programs that build on Inuit strengths and prevent abuse

Pauktuutit president Martha Greig said in a news release she hopes the strategy will improve prevention and services and reduce social tolerance for abuse.

"Abuse is not acceptable at any level and has huge hidden costs - financial, social and psychological - that work against the potential benefits of many other social programs," she said.

The strategy is the culmination of the work of an advisory committee made up of police and community workers from Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit settlement region.

"Violence and abuse is not decreasing, which means we have a lot of work to do," said Leesie Naqitarvik, Pauktuutit's manager of abuse issues.

Naqitarvik said Inuit communities lack many of the services available to southern communities, like family counsellors and sexual assault specialists.

It's up to senior levels of government to make more funding for such services available to Inuit communities, she said.

She's hopeful communities start pushing federal and territorial governments to "funnel down the dollars right to the communities."

The town of Rankin Inlet made headlines across the North earlier this year when it enacted a "zero-tolerance" policy on violence. Naqitarvik said Pauktuutit was "very proud" of Rankin Inlet's move and hopes a similar policy now circulating amongst Nunavut municipalities will be enacted by each one.