Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada (MMIWG) refers to a human rights crisis that has only recently become a topic of discussion within national media. Indigenous women and communities, women’s groups and international organizations have long called for action into the high and disproportionate rates of violence and the appalling numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has gathered information about 582 cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls. Of these:
- 67% are murder cases (death as the result of homicide or negligence);
- 20% are cases of missing women or girls;
- 4% are cases of suspicious death—deaths regarded as natural or accidental by police, but considered suspicious by family or community members;
- 9% are cases where the nature of the case is unknown
The National Inquiry must look into and report on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual violence. We must examine the underlying social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical causes that contribute to the ongoing violence and particular vulnerabilities of Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
