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Advocate for Indigenous Women and Girls
First Nations, Métis and Inuit women continue to disproportionately experience violence and abuse in Canada, facing five times more violence than any other population in the country. According to the Assembly of First Nations, Indigenous women and girls make up 16% of all female homicide victims and 11% of all missing women, while only accounting for 4.3% of the population of the country.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey conducted by the Native Women’s Association of Canada found one in five Indigenous women of the 250 respondents had faced physical and psychological violence in the first three months of lockdowns.
Recommended Reads:
- 231 Calls for Justice to Address Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls
- The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
- Red Women Rising: Indigenous Women Survivors in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
Ways you can support:
- Get involved with Atira Women’s Resource Society and our programs supporting Indigenous women and girls.
- March alongside Atira Women’s Resource Society and the Downtown Eastside community to honour the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls at the annual Women’s Memorial March, held every year on February 14th at Carnegie Community Centre. More information on the annual march can be found here.
- On May 5th, wear red and/or attend a vigil to honour and bring awareness to the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.
- Stand in solidarity with families and honour the lives of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, gender diverse and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people on the National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (October 4th)
- Write to The Honourable Carolyn Bennet, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs to develop a National Action plan addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender diverse people based off the 231 calls for justice for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls inquiry.
see more ways you can prevent gender-based violence everyday.