Sexual assault prevention grant program yields over 100 applicants

More than a hundred community groups from across Nova Scotia have filed applications for grants from a sexual violence prevention fund.

"So that was an incredibly successful process," said Sarah Granke, the director of the province's new Sexual Violence Prevention Strategy.

• Nova Scotia sexual assault prevention grants announced

There is $600,000available this year, and again next year.There are two categories:grants for up to $5000and grants for up to $50,000.

The money can be used towardresearch or to developnew ways to use technology to help prevent sexual violence.

"It's also about assisting youth groups, reach out to their peers in innovative ways,as well as to support marginalized populations such as African Nova Scotians, First Nations communities and the LGBT community,"saidGranke.

Provincial officials hope to have the application evaluations done by the end of February so work on the prevention ideas can begin by the first of April.

In 2013, 647 sexual assaults were reported to police in Nova Scotia. Most experts acknowledge that sexual violence is significantly under-reported. The rates of incidents are also higher among young people and certain populations: aboriginal women are three times more likely to experience sexual violence.