Government of Canada makes progress in addressing the Calls for Justice to end national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people

OTTAWA, UNCEDED ALGONQUIN TRADITIONAL TERRITORY, ON, June 3, 2024 /CNW/ – Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people are 12 times more likely to go missing or be murdered in comparison to non-Indigenous women in Canada. We must work together urgently to make communities safer, to bring justice to survivors and families, and to dismantle the long-standing, systemic racism, misogyny, and discrimination created by over a century of colonization that has led to this tragic crisis in Canada.

Since the launch of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the Government of Canada has has made efforts to advance around three quarters of the federal work outlined in the Calls for Justice.

Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, released the 2023–24 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report. The report highlights the progress the federal government has made over the last year in responding to the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice, including:

To prevent violence and respond to immediate needs, federal funding is supporting 47 emergency shelters and transitional housing projects creating 380 units within First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Indigenous urban communities across Canada. We have also helped Indigenous communities complete 52 projects that improve community safety and well-being, such as the Red Eagle Lodge in Saskatoon which is providing cultural programming and services for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people to help with healing from trauma, including intergenerational trauma and addiction, and to support a reintroduction of traditional parenting and family reunification.To address Call for Justice 5.5 to ensure access to reliable Internet in communities, over 3,000 Indigenous households received high-speed Internet access through federally-funded projects. Better connectivity means more tools for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in moments of danger, helping victims of violence access online resources.To address Call for Justice 3.2 around the critical lack of access to health services in communities – which forces Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people to relocate to urban areas to access health care, without guaranteed safety or security – we have funded close to 100 Indigenous communities and organizations to date to improve midwifery services and infrastructure. For example, the mobile birth centre program in Six Nations of the Grand River provides a safe place to give birth when an individual’s home is not suitable.To address systemic issues and root causes of violence, over the past year, the Ministerial Special Representative met with 600 people – representing more than 125 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments and organizations – about the need for a simple, barrier-free, trauma-informed way for Indigenous Peoples to address inequities in government programs and services that result in human rights violations. The resulting report provides advice on the creation of Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudspersons—a critical step towards ensuring accountability and justice, while helping us implement the Call for Justice 1.7.

Looking ahead to 2024-25, as more work remains to be done, the Government of Canada will continue, in partnership with the provinces and territories, to address long-standing and emerging issues and to make progress on the Calls for Justice to end the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.

We are committed to learning from Indigenous partners, such as the National Families and Survivors Circle Inc., in a way that respects our shared priorities and puts Indigenous survivors and families at the centre of our work. We all have a role to play and, we must all recognize that this crisis will only be over when every Indigenous woman, girl, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse person in Canada is safe from all violence.

“Federal progress to address violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people is heading in the right direction, but we know that there is much more work to be done to put an end to this national crisis. Ongoing work and commitment is required from provincial, territorial, and key partners in Canada as it cannot be done through just one plan, one individual, or one institution alone. Ensuring that every Indigenous woman, girl, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse person in Canada is free from violence wherever they live will continue to be our priority in the year ahead.”

The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree
Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

“Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people deserve to live their lives safely, free from fear and violence. Considerable progress has been made on key initiatives that prevent and respond to violence through housing, shelters, infrastructure and direct support for the well-being of families and survivors in the North and across the country, but there is much work still to be done. We will continue to collaborate with Indigenous partners, northern communities and all orders of government to work on solutions that address systemic issues and root causes of violence. Together, we must do all we can to end this national crisis.”

The Honourable Dan Vandal
Minister of Northern Affairs

“Every Indigenous woman, girl, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse person deserves to feel safe and protected in this country. And that safety starts with providing resources that Indigenous Peoples rely on, such as mental wellness services, housing, fair economic opportunities, and child and family services. This Federal Government will always be a committed partner and will be there to support Indigenous-led solutions for a safer future.”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services

“Addressing the Calls for Justice to end the national crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people is a fundamental obligation. Women and Gender Equality Canada is contributing to national efforts, including through actions outlined in the National Action Plan to End Gender-based Violence, especially under Pillar 4 – Indigenous-led approaches, which is a fundamental part of creating meaningful, and lasting change. While progress is being made, much work remains. We will continue to work together to ensure justice, safety, and dignity for all Indigenous peoples and end gender-based violence in Canada.”

The Honourable Marci Ien
Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth

“Professional, dedicated and culturally responsive – those are our guiding principles when it comes to Indigenous policing. Our government will continue to work with community leadership, provinces and territories and law enforcement to strengthen community safety initiatives and policing services across First Nations and Inuit communities.”

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs

“Addressing the legacy of colonial laws and policies is key to improving Canada’s justice system and bringing justice, protection, respect and peace to Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. We must continue to move forward in partnership with Indigenous Peoples, to advance initiatives informed by their lived experience.”

The Honourable Arif Virani
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

“Culture can be a powerful source of healing, identity and safety for Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people. This progress report highlights our commitment to supporting cultural initiatives that empower communities to reclaim their languages and traditions and share their own stories. We will continue partnering with Indigenous communities to create supportive environments that promote safety while also being spaces of creativity and free expression.”

The Honourable Pascale St-Onge
Minister of Canadian Heritage

“Addressing the violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people is a national priority that demands our unwavering commitment and action. We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities, working with partners to amplify and elevate Indigenous voices, ensuring their stories are heard, their rights protected, and our pledge to create a safer, more inclusive society is upheld.”

The Honourable Sean Fraser
Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Our government remains committed to working alongside our partners to help ensure Indigenous Peoples across the country have equitable access to culturally appropriate health services, when and where they need them. Supporting community-based organizations is essential to addressing health inequities as we work to close the gaps in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.”

The Honourable Mark Holland
Minister of Health

Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people are overrepresented as victims of violence in Canada. Between 2009 and 2021, the homicide rate among Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than among non-Indigenous women, as reported by Statistics Canada.This year, June 3rd marks the fifth anniversary of the final report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (National Inquiry).The National Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice vary in complexity and shared responsibility:There are 29 Calls for Justice that exclusively call upon the federal government.There are 186 Calls for Justice that collectively call upon the federal, provincial, and territorial governments.There are 6 Calls for Justice that exclusively call upon provincial and territorial governments.There are 10 Calls for Justice that exclusively call upon non-government actors.The Federal Pathway is Canada’s contribution to the broader 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan developed in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous Peoples, survivors, families, and Indigenous women’s organizations in response to the National Inquiry.Provincial and territorial governments may also make individual progress reports available on June 3rd as part of their contribution to the broader 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan. The 2023–24 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report includes five highlight reports on initiatives impacting First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Urban, and Indigenous 2SLGBTQI+ people.The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, released in June 2023, includes 10 measures that specifically focus on upholding and respecting the rights of Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.The second annual National Indigenous-Federal-Provincial-Territorial Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, and Gender-Diverse People was held on February 7-8, 2024, to discuss a Red Dress Alert, the final report of the Ministerial Special Representative on an Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson, monitoring progress and a leadership discussion, which explored opportunities for collaboration.On May 3, 2024, the governments of Canada and Manitoba announced a partnership to co-develop a pilot Red Dress Alert system with Indigenous partners. This initiative is supported by $1.3 million invested through Budget 2024. Alert systems can help ensure that when an Indigenous woman, girl, Two-Spirit or gender-diverse person goes missing, they are found.The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Crisis Line is a national, toll-free, 24/7 crisis call line that provides support for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people. For assistance, call 1-844-413-6649.

2023-2024 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report: Executive Summary2023-2024 Federal Pathway Annual Progress Report

2022-2023 Federal Pathway Annual Progress ReportFederal Pathway to Address Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ PeopleMissing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action PlanReclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and GirlsCalls for JusticeMinister Anandasangaree welcomes the Ministerial Special Representative’s reportGovernment of Canada and the Government of Manitoba announce partnership to develop a Red Dress Alert together with Indigenous partnersCo-chairs issue statement on progress made towards shared priorities at roundtable on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people in Canada

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SOURCE Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada