Existing Measures & Engagement on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls • A Preliminary Response to “Invisible Women” Presented by: Winnie Babou, Drew Meerveld and Jessie Wallace, December 2015 Faculté des sciences sociales | Faculty of Social Sciences uOttawa.ca uOttawa.ca
2 International Scope ”States shall take measures, in conjunction with Indigenous peoples, to ensure that Indigenous women and children enjoy the full protection and guarantees against all forms of violence and discrimination.” - UNDRIP, Article 22(2) uOttawa.ca
Presentation Layout 1. Overview of MMIW crisis 2. By the Numbers 3. Invisible Women: A Call to Action 4. Methodology 5. Examples from Select Findings 6. Analysis of Alternative Recommendations & Gaps 7. Concluding Remarks uOttawa.ca
MMIW: THE CANADIAN CONTEXT Historically: à Asymmetric state-societal relations have contributed to the social, cultural, political, and economic marginalization of FN, Inuit, and Métis peoples. à Enduring, inter-generational legacies from collective group experiences with: • Settler colonialism • IRS system & ‘Day Schools’ • ’60s Scoop Perhaps nowhere is the convergence of these linkages more explicit than with the crisis of MMIW. uOttawa.ca
MMIW: THE CONTEXT Contemporary Developments: à Pickton case (2006) à NWAC-led Sisters in Spirit (2005): 5-year, $5M initiative. à Missing Women Commission of Inquiry (2012): Investigation of the role of the Vancouver Police and RCMP regarding the disappearances/murdered of women in the DTES. à RCMP report (2014-15): Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview à 50+ reports conducted on the violent victimization of Indigenous women and girls in Canada. uOttawa.ca
By the Numbers: - 2014 RCMP report identified 1,181 reported cases of Indigenous female homicides and unresolved missing Indigenous women (1980-2012). - Indigenous females represent 4.3% of the female population : comprise 16% of female homicides, 11.3% of missing female cases. - 60% of female Indigenous murders occur in urban centers , compared to rural (28%) and on-reserve (13%) localities (NWAC, 2010). uOttawa.ca
“Invisible Women”: An Environmental Scan 16 recommendations, 7 themes • Awareness campaign • Support for the family of victims • Support for communities • Police Services • Violence against women and girls • Other supports • Moving to action uOttawa.ca
Methodology • ~120hrs of research • Timeline: Sept. 21-Nov. 22 • Internet-based searches • Range of sources, including: - Government content (e.g. audits, websites) - News articles - Press releases - Academic and civil society publications uOttawa.ca
Selection of Findings: 6/16 Recommendations uOttawa.ca
Federal • Justice Canada : $5M over next 5 years to raise awareness and create tools for involvement building healthy relationships. • SWC : $2.5M over next 5 years to work 1. That the federal ( 2014 with Indigenous stakeholders on engaging government learn from Indigenous males and empowering Action Plan) Indigenous females to prevent violence. the stories of the families of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls and work with the • Family Violence Prevention Program : Federal $9M in on-going annual funding for 300 provinces, territories community-driven violence prevention involvement and municipalities to programs and outreach awareness. (INAC) create a public • Coordinated by the National Circle Against Family Violence. awareness and prevention campaign focusing on violence against Aboriginal women and girls in • The Highway of Tears Prevention and Canada. Awareness Project (BC) Provincial involvement • I Am A Kind Man– “Kizhaay à 9 Findings Anishinaabe Niin (ON) uOttawa.ca
• National DNA Databank 4. That the federal initiative • Currently 697 unidentified government remains in Canada. implement a national • DNA Bank would allows for DNA-based missing RCMP national coordination to person’s index. identify these victims and provides support for families of victims. à 1 Finding • $8.1M over 5 years (DNA testing only). Expected to launch in Spring 2017. uOttawa.ca
• Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Strategy : ON Ministry Creation of 6 healing lodges, 7 family shelters, 2 family violence healing programs, 2 of Community outpatient hostels, crisis intervention teams in and Social 47 northern communities, over 460 community-based health/healing programs, Services training for more than 1,000 social services staff since inception in 1994. 6. That the federal government continue to • Prevention of Violence Against Aboriginal support programming Yukon Women Fund • $1.9M for 70 projects since its creation in and legislation that territorial 2004. allow Aboriginal • 2015-16 recipients: $200,000 for 5 projects. government • Examples: $50,000 allocated to Selkirk FN, communities to respond $25,000 to Laird Aboriginal Women’s Society. to violence. à 37 Findings • $1.5 million over next 2 years “to increase services and supports throughout the province B.C. for Aboriginal people who are affected by domestic violence.” (August 2015) provincial • ‘Giving Voice’ initiative : 37 community government organizations to receive $350,000 (2015-16) for community mobilization against violence facing Indigenous females. uOttawa.ca
• Skills and Partnership Fund : $7 million in funding to Nunavut’s Kivalliq Mine Training Society for training over Federal 300 Aboriginal people (2015). involvement 7. That the federal • FN Job Fund : $109M (2013-16) to government examine support activities including skills assessments and personalized training. options to address poverty as a root cause of violence against • Aboriginal Information and Aboriginal women and Communications Technology Provincial/ program : $4.1M invested by N.B girls by empowering government for 3-year training-for- Territorial employment program in 2011. Aboriginal people involvement through economic • Rupertsland Institute: Métis Training development to Employment Program opportunities and jobs and skills training. • Women in Trades program , Trade- Saskatchewan Indian Institute of à 28 Findings Technologies related initiatives • Aboriginal Construction Technology Program , Indigenous Leadership Development Institute uOttawa.ca
• Family Violence Prevention Program : Federal $92.5M allocated to on and off-reserve shelters over 5 years under Action Plan. involvement • Approx. 55% of FN communities served by INAC-funded shelters. 8. That the federal government engage First Nation communities to examine how to improve • B.C. government under Provincial Domestic supports for shelters and Violence Plan : $500,000 to be distributed to Provincial 56 transition houses and safe houses for the front-line services on allocation of subsidies to Indigenous women involvement reserve for victims of and children. violence. à 18 Findings • NACAFV: Annual Training Forum– ‘Burnout Prevention for Frontline Workers’ 1-3 Dec. 2015 Civil Society • Talk 4 Healing Helpline : Services offered in English, Oji-Cree, and Cree to Indigenous women. uOttawa.ca
Future Outlooks Recommendation 16 • 12 reports call for the creation of a national action plan to address violence against Indigenous women and girls. à Dissenting opinions of Liberal Party and NDP ( Invisible Women ) à National Roundtable on MMIW à AFN’s Coordinated and Urgent Action to Address Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls– Towards a National Action Plan (2012) à ON Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs 2015-16 priorities: Joint Working Group plans for coordinated action to end cycles of violence. uOttawa.ca
A Flawed Document • The political game • Language matters • Recommendation 2: That the Federal Government continue strengthening the criminal justice system to ensure, among other things, that violent and repeat offenders serve appropriate sentences. • Beat by alignment uOttawa.ca
Alternative Recommendations 1. National commission of inquiry 2. National action plan 3. Public acknowledgement & prioritization 4. Indigenous-specific programs addressing root causes of MMAW 5. Aboriginal involvement in program development/delivery 6. Data – gathering and publication 7. Public information and awareness raising 8. Transport services and access to housing/shelters 9. Community based first response measures 10. Aboriginal sex worker care programs 11. Relationship enhancement between Aboriginal peoples and police 12. Investigation and prosecution changes 13. Community-based and restorative justice measures 14. Law reform of discriminatory legislation 15. International human rights instruments 16. Compensation healing fund uOttawa.ca
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