Yellowknife — May 5, 2023
Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, provided the following statement for Red Dress Day:
“Today my thoughts are with the survivors and families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Inspired by Jaime Black’s REDress art installation project, the empty red dresses symbolize the loss of thousands of lives and remind us of the injustices that still exist.
“Most NWT residents know someone who has attended a residential or day school, whose grandparent lost a family member during the 50’s and 60’s tuberculosis outbreak, or whose sibling was taken away during the 60’s scoop. We may also know someone whose friend, sister, or mother suffered from violence or was taken away by violence from her family too soon.
“We continue to see disproportionate higher rates of poor heath indicators, lower education attainment and other negative social, health and economic indicators across the NWT’s indigenous population compared to the rest of Canadians.
“Back in 2019, the Calls for Justice presented in the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls challenged jurisdictions across Canada to acknowledge that colonialism is not only a discrete event in the past but that it built systems, institutions, practices, and ways of thinking that continue to negatively impact Indigenous people in Canada.
“The GNWT took a wholistic approach in its response to the recommendations of the National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, working across several departments to develop and implement a timely, comprehensive response.
“In November 2022, I tabled our government’s action plan entitled Changing the Relationship. Guided by engagements with Indigenous governments, community governments, and people with lived experience, this action plan is a culmination of years of work intended to dismantle colonialism and racial and gendered discrimination from all levels of government and public institutions.
“Since tabling the action plan departments have been hard at work implementing various initiatives including:
- Establishing an MMIWG advisory committee;
- Developing a strategic framework to address family violence in the NWT;
- Working with the Native Women’s Association of the NWT to visit communities to support individuals and families with missing loved ones and to host men’s only gatherings to talk about gender-based violence; and
- Engaging on proposed Missing Persons Legislation.
“The 2022-2023 annual report on the implementation of the GNWT’s Action Plan is currently being prepared and will be released this Summer
“To make change, we need to address systemic causes of violence, inequality, and racism so that Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse people feel safe and empowered in our territory and across the country.”
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