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People & Culture 22 August 2019

IKEA Canada partners with Women’s Shelters Canada to create children’s play spaces at 14 shelters

  As a part of the commitment to enhance the lives of children and families globally, IKEA Canada has partnered with Women’s Shelters Canada to create better everyday lives for children residing in women’s shelters nationwide.

With the belief that play is a fundamental human right, IKEA Canada is partnering with women’s shelters in each of its local store regions to create and furnish custom play areas, for a total commitment of $50,000 in home furnishings value. The commitment is born in part out of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Children, which states that every child should have the right to play. Having conducted some of the world’s largest research on the role of play, IKEA believes that play is vital for development and shapes who we are, makes us stronger, more creative and more active. 

Women’s Shelters Canada represents over 400 shelters across Canada and works as a unified voice to collaborate, educate, and innovate for systemic change that ends violence against women. According to Statistics Canada, of the women in shelters with parental responsibilities, 76% were admitted with one or more of their children. Of those children, approximately 81% are under the age of 11. 

“Our partnership with Women’s Shelters Canada supports us in our goal to create a play movement, emphasizing the importance of play for children and adults alike, while also alleviating the barriers to play facing vulnerable children in Canada and across the world,” said Melissa Mirowski, Sustainability Manager, IKEA Canada.

For more information, visit the IKEA Retail Canada Media Room.  

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For further information, please contact us at press.office@ingka.com or by calling +46 70 993 6376

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