National Awareness Day for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S), also know as Red Dress Day, is on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
The day honours and brings awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people who have been subject to disproportionate violence in Canada.
The 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action report identified 94 steps to address the legacy of residential schools in Canada. Call to Action #41, outlined below, addresses the issue of disproportionate violence towards Indigenous women and girls and called for the creation of a public inquiry into the crisis.
Call to Action #41
- We call upon the federal government, in consultation with Aboriginal organizations, to appoint a public inquiry into the causes of, and remedies for, the disproportionate victimization of Aboriginal women and girls. The inquiry’s mandate would include:
- Investigation into missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls.
- Links to the intergenerational legacy of residential schools.
Although complete, Call to Action # 41 still has an ongoing MMIWG Action Plan to deliver 231 Calls to Justice that need to be tracked and reported on.
T0 recognize this important day, the City will fly the Every Child Matters flag located on the East end of Celebration Square (City Centre Dr.) on May 5 at half-mast. The flag will remain at half-mast for 24 hours. The Civic Centre clock tower will also be dimmed on the same evening in recognition.
If you are a victim or survivor of human trafficking, call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010.