Breaking the Silence: Confronting Gender-Based Violence

TW: Mentions of Violence, Assault and Murder

“We remember the missing, the murdered and the disappeared. We fight for the living” – Dawson’s Women’s shelter

MMIWG2S

Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a significant problem that harms many women around the world. Gender-Based Violence exists in a multitude of ways, it can range from physical to sexual and even emotional abuse and can be suffered at the hands of a spouse, or even a stranger. However, oftentimes, when GBV is carried out by a stranger, the target tends to be Women of Colour. In North America, GBV is often committed against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals. The issue of violence against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals has been a topic of concern for many years. The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals (MMIWG2S) which occurs annually on May 5th, aims to acknowledge this issue. May 5th has therefore become a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives due to this violence carried out against Indigenous Women.

Root Causes

The statistics surrounding GBV in accordance to Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals in Canada are staggering. Indigenous Women are almost six times more likely to experience gender based violence than Non-indigenous Women and make up a disproportionate number of missing/murdered persons in Canada. These statistics highlighted an urgency in Canada to address gender based violence, especially amongst Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals. While we’ve certainly made strides in acknowledging how gender based violence disproportionately affects Indigenous Women, and ensuring that we’ve paid respects to victims, we often fail to recognize the root causes of GBV against Indigenous Women. It is then our failure to accept these root causes that allows GBV against Indigenous Women to prevail and prevents our Canadian society from lending our full support, and funding to Indigenous communities.

It’s incredibly hard to point to a single root causes for GBV against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals as all of them are incredibly complex and multifaceted. However, one of the most widely recognized ongoing causes of GBV are the historical trauma and ongoing colonization that Indigenous groups continue to face. Systemic racism and marginalization are both issues that Indigenous communities have been continuously subjected to throughout history. While we, as Canadians, like to believe that these days are long gone and Indigenous communities are no longer suffering from this marginalization, to do so would be to ignore the prejudice that continues to infect our communities, society and justice systems. CBC, in 2022, reported looking into 34 individual cases that involved the disappearance/death of Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals which the authorities, despite protest from the families of the victims, had concluded did not include foul play. These are just 34 of the thousands of cases involving the murder/disappearance of Indigenous Women that are continuously disregarded and left uninvestigated by both the authorities and the communities that fail to question their verdict. These are the kinds of cases that the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals aims to bring attention to.

National Inquiry into MMIWG2S

While the main goal of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals (MMIWG2S) is to bring attention to the issue of GBV against Indigenous Women and Girls, it is not its only goal. MMIWG2S also demanded and continues to demand action from the government because of the little attention cases about missing/murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals who have gone missing/been murdered receives from the media and law enforcement. It was this demand for action that in 2019, led to the release of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals released in 2019 which made 231 calls for justice from the government, authorities, social services and the entirety of Canada. The main recommendations of the National Inquiry included investigation into the cases of missing/murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals, as well as addressing root causes such as residential schools and the role they continue to play in our modern society. 

While it’s incredibly important for the government to address their own prejudices and acknowledge how they continue to affect treatment towards Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals, as the National Inquiry calls for, it is also important for us, as Canadians, to do the very same. In order to work towards ending GBV, especially against Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-spirit Individuals, it’s important to educate ourselves by listening to Indigenous voices and supporting Indigenous led initiatives. It is not enough to simply acknowledge our prejudice, rather we must actively work to completely deconstruct and destroy any obstacles that prevent us from showing Indigenous communities and their women the care and attention they need.

Resources

National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Support Phone Line

• Phone: 1-844-413-6649 (toll free)

Edmonton 2 spirit society

• Email: hello@edmonton2s.com
• Address: #6770 129 Ave NW #106, Edmonton, AB T5C1V7

Hope for Wellness

• Phone: 1-855-242-3310
• Website: https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/

Native Counselling Services of Alberta

• Website: https://www.ncsa.ca/
• Phone: +1 (780) 451-4002
• Email: info@ncsa.ca

Petitions:

• https://www.change.org/p/support-having-an-indigenous-woman-on-the-next-canadian-bank-note
• https://psacunion.ca/petition-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and
• https://www.change.org/p/the-canadian-government-and-the-us-government-help-raise-awareness-and-bring-justice-to-the-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women