Yellowknife — December 8, 2021
Today, Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, tabled the Government of the Northwest Territories’ (GNWT) draft action plan to address the Calls for Justice presented in Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).
The draft action plan lists 95 actions that outline how the GNWT will work to change the relationship between the GNWT and Indigenous women, girls and two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual plus (2SLGBTQQIA+) people in order to address systemic causes of violence, inequality and racism in the Northwest Territories. The action plan is intended to dismantle colonialism and racial and gendered discrimination from all levels of government and public institutions.
It includes a signed commitment from the Premier and all Cabinet Ministers of the Northwest Territories committing to “ensuring the actions described in this document will be implemented and our efforts to re-build trust and provide person-centred services will be monitored and held accountable.”
The GNWT will engage with Indigenous governments, community governments, other partners, people with lived experience and all NWT residents to seek feedback on the draft action plan.
Quote(s)
“The GNWT is committed to working with all Northerners and with partners across Canada to address systemic causes of violence, inequality and racism so that Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people can feel safe and empowered in our territory and in our country. This draft action plan is an important step in this government’s commitment to meet the Calls for Justice.”
- Caroline Wawzonek, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women
Quick facts
- Violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people is rooted in systemic factors like economic, social, and political marginalization as well as racism, discrimination, and misogyny.
- The 231 Calls for Justice presented in Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) are far reaching and complex. The process to develop a draft action plan took a thorough and honest review of the GNWT’s current policies, programs and services, and assessed their effectiveness; identified gaps; and set measurable targets to measure progress.
- In August 2019, the GNWT released Doing Our Part as an initial response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry.
- In November 2020, Minister Wawzonek tabled a work plan titled Taking Action in the Legislative Assembly outlining how the GNWT will prepare its action plan to respond to the Calls for Justice.
- The GNWT has committed to finalizing the action plan in June 2022.
Related links
- Changing the Relationship: The GNWT’s draft action plan in response to the Calls for Justice on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls:
- Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
- Doing Our Part: GNWT’s Initial Response to the Final Report
- Taking Action: Developing a GNWT Action Plan to Address the Calls for Justice
- Annual Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, June 2021
- What We Heard: Preliminary Engagement on The GNWT Action Plan for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
Media Requests, please contact:
Todd Sasaki
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs
Government of the Northwest Territories