Indigenous women and girls face a disproportionate rate of sexual violence and exploitation compared to the general population of Canada. Indigenous peoples in Canada make up only 4% of the population, but Indigenous women make up 51% of the reported victims/survivors of sex trafficking. Indigenous girls make up 50% of the reported victims/survivors of those sex trafficked. 

Since the landfall of European settlers on Turtle Island, Indigenous women and girls' bodies have been sexualized, devalued, and violated. Settler colonists have viewed Indigenous women’s sexuality and bodily autonomy as a threat that needs to be controlled, resulting in actions that intend to assert dominance and control over Indigenous agency. The degree to which Indigenous women are socially marginalized, sexualized, and belittled within society significantly increases the degree of violence they are vulnerable to. As much as we would like to express that these beliefs, experiences, and narratives are historical ideas, they are not. The over 4000 missing Indigenous women and girls demonstrate that this is not history; this is a crisis. 

This crisis is systemic and requires national attention to help support these folks and prevent the continuation of this exploitation. Starting from the top of the power structure, we call on the federal government of Canada. Specifically, we call upon Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, to actively engage in implementing The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls to Justice, Section 3.4.

Please help us bring attention to this crisis - share the stories of the women who deserve better than what society has given them. Bring these women out of the dark and silence of exploitation, and show your support for federal change. Time to push the system. 

https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Calls_for_Justice.pdf