NWAC takes on violence against Indigenous women

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This article was published 09/03/2021 (1679 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Native Women’s Association of Canada announced Monday it is organizing a Summit of the Americas on Violence Against Indigenous Women.

The two-day virtual event, scheduled for March 29 and 30, is expected to draw hundreds of people from North and South America who have expressed their desire to put a stop to the ongoing crisis, according to the association’s news release.

Participants are expected to share their ideas about ways to keep Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people safe, and to bring perpetrators to justice.

“Grassroots Indigenous women and girls from across the Americas will come together with Indigenous women leaders, representatives from both the Organization of American States and the United Nations, family survivors and corporate and government leaders to discuss the epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and what needs to be done,” stated Lynne Groulx, the association’s chief executive officer.

“An outcome document will be presented to governments and UN officials.”

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and will feature discussions on the impacts of the violence, best practices for countering it and key lessons that have been learned.

“On International Women’s Day, Indigenous women stand proudly resilient and determined to be silent no more,” Groulx said.

In a separate communication, president Lorraine Whitman stated the association assessed the year gone by as relates to Indigenous women — not only in Canada, but also around the world.

The assessment included looking at positive strides in levelling the advantages distributed across genders, as well as whether there has been progress made on human rights, justice, economic stability and basic security.

“Looking back at the past year under the shadow of COVID-19, I believe there have been few strides forward in any of these areas, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous women alike. In fact, we know the pandemic made things worse for the First Nations, Métis and Inuit women of Canada,” Whitman stated.

A survey commissioned by the association last spring found that Indigenous women — already victims of genocide, as stated in the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women — are at increased risk of violence because of the pandemic.

“The supports they rely upon have been cut off and many are forced to isolate with abusive family members,” Whitman said.

Another consequence of the pandemic is that it blocked the advancement of Indigenous women’s equality.

“We had hoped for the release, in June 2020, of a National Action Plan to respond to the 231 Calls for Justice of the national inquiry’s final report. The government says COVID-19 is at least partly to blame for the fact that the plan did not materialize,” Whitman said.

On a positive note, the association is at work with the federal government and other Indigenous organizations to draft the plan. Whitman is hopeful it will be tabled in June.

“One thing we can say about COVID-19 is that it is a great leveller, an equalizer, in a world filled with inequality. It threatens all members of society — men, women, Indigenous, non-Indigenous — without regard to race or sex. All of us, in every part of the world, have had to come together to fight it,” she said.

“But that rather unfortunate bit of equality is about to change.”

Whitman said that even as Canadians complain about the amount of time it is taking to get COVID-19 vaccines into arms, there are Indigenous women in other countries who are being told they will have to wait two or three years before they can get their shot.

“I am calling upon world leaders to ensure that the vaccines are distributed everywhere as quickly as possible, not just for the sake of equality — though that should be a significant motivation — but because this disease will only be contained when the possibility of immunity is available to all,” said Whitman.

Whitman asked herself: what has occurred to advance the cause of women since March 8, 2020?

“My focus will always be on the status of Indigenous women in particular. And, despite the pandemic, I have sensed over the past year a real and growing desire on their part to come together and tackle problems like the violence that is directed against us. That is especially true of Indigenous women across the Americas,” she said.

“The problem of violence is, at last, well recognized in Canada thanks to the advocacy of (the association) and other Indigenous groups. Now our sisters abroad need us to stand up for them and to find ways to keep them safe, just as we are looking for ways to keep Indigenous women safe in Canada. We need to support each other.”

Whitman said that while it is not possible to be there physically for Indigenous women beyond Canada’s border, “we can be there in our hearts, our spirit, and our prayers — and in our advocacy for a more equal future for us all.”

More information will be available about the summit at nwac.ca

» mletourneau@brandonsun.com

» Michele LeTourneau covers Indigenous matters for The Brandon Sun under the Local Journalism Initiative, a federally funded program that supports the creation of original civic journalism.