An Epidemic of Canada’s Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls

Written By: Naima Syed

Indigenous women have been repeatedly targeted for hate and abuse as a group that has been socially, culturally, and politically oppressed. As with historical causes such as racism and sexism, and the history of colonialism underlying factors such as poverty and homelessness lead to their victimization. It also plays a part in the damage created by abuses within Canada’s residential school system. Indigenous women are 3 to 3.5 times more likely than other women to be victims of violent crime, and the abuse they experience is also more serious.

The missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) epidemic affects Indigenous communities in Canada and the United States. It is characterized as a national Canadian Issue. A comparison mass campaign in Canada is operating through concerted marches, group forums, the creation of databases, municipal city council meetings, tribal council meetings, and police training on domestic violence to increase awareness of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls (MMIWG). 

In response to numerous demands from Indigenous leaders, other campaigners, and non-governmental organizations, the Government of Canada formed the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in September 2016 under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. According to the context of the investigation on April 22, 2016, aboriginal women and girls accounted for 16 per cent of all female homicides in Canada between 1980 and 2012, although they are just 4 per cent of the female population in Canada. A 2011 Statistics Canada study estimated that the incidence of murders of Indigenous women and girls between 1997 and 2000 was almost seven times higher than that for other women. In comparison to non-Indigenous women, they are substantially under-represented among Canadian female victims of murder and much more likely to go missing than other women.

The RCMP’s 2014 study “Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview” revealed that more than 1,000 Indigenous women were killed over a period of 30 years. While homicides for non-indigenous women decreased between 1980 and 2015, the number of homicide casualties for indigenous women rose from 9 per cent of all female victims of homicide in 1980 to 24 per cent in 2015. The homicide rate for Indigenous women in Canada was almost six times higher from 2001 to 2015 than the homicide rate for non-Indigenous women.

The Assembly of First Nations has been mandated to resolve the critical situation of abuse, disappearance and murder of First Nations women and girls by resolution and guidance by First Nations. This is a high priority region, and the AFN continues to take all possible measures to pursue the implementations of a National Action Plan to End Violence. The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is working on coordinated collaboration and action to prevent and address violence against Indigenous women and girls during the National inquiry on MMIWG. AFN understands the importance of a national inquiry on MMIWG and is working with the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Asking for full cooperation and participation during the processes of investigations.

For decades, aboriginal activists have held marches and vigils about missing and murdered Indigenous women, children, and two-spirit people. One of the groups that produced a directory of missing and murdered Aboriginal people was The Native Women’s Association of Canada. Since 2005, the community-based advocacy organizations Families of Sisters in Spirit, and No more Silence have also been documenting the names of Aboriginal people missing and murdered. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action called for the Federal Government to create a national inquiry into MMIW concerns. In December 2015, Prime Minister Justine Trudeau announced the investigation. In Downtown Eastside, Vancouver, the first Women's Remembrance March was on February14, Valentine's Day,1991, a region notorious for having multiple indigenous women missing or murdered. The march was a reaction to the murder of a coastal Salish woman. In order to generate momentum for a national investigation and response initiative, the annual marches were designed to mourn

aboriginal people who were killed or missing. Sisters in Spirit, a research, education and policy initiative operated by indigenous women, was founded in 2005 by indigenous women. With a focus on raising awareness of violence against indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Sisters in Spirit gathered reports of nearly 600 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada. In terms of its information and scale, this was the first database of its kind in Canada, but the federal government stopped funding the initiative in 2010. Critics of the cut claim it was intended to silence Canada's Native Women's Association, the organization behind the database. However, on October 4th, Sisters in Spirit vigils continue to be held every year across Canada.

Recently, Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald marked November 25 as international day for the elimination of violence against women and the start of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an increase in violence against women, girls, two-spirit and LGBTQ people,” said Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald. “As public health has advised that we isolate, stay home, and with some areas entering lockdown, homes are not always a safe space for women. The UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and women’s empowerment, are calling this the Shadow Pandemic. On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, I am calling on all levels of government to prioritize ending violence against women, girls, two-spirit and LGBTQ people.” This year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” A multi-year initiative to reduce and eradicate violence against women and children, the UN Secretary-UNiTE General's to End Violence against Women campaign will focus on widening the call for global action to close funding gaps, ensure vital care for survivors of violence during the COVID-19 crisis, concentrate on prevention and data collection that can enhance life-saving services.

Communities need to work together in order to spread awareness and implement substantial change in regard to MMIW. The continuous work of activism around the nation has allowed non-indigenous people to gain insight and knowledge about an important issue and form a perspective. People are able to understand the truth and raise their voice against missing women and girls in Indigenous communities.