JOINT STATEMENT
DAVID ZIMMER, MINISTER ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS
TRACY MACCHARLES, MINISTER WOMEN'S ISSUES
MADELEINE MEILLEUR, ATTOURNEY GENERAL
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The following Statement was issued today by David Zimmer, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Tracy MacCharles, Minister Responsible for Women's Issues, and Madeleine Meilleur, Attorney General, on the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls:
Tuesday marked an important step toward justice and healing for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and their families.
Our government has long supported calls by Indigenous organizations for a national public inquiry into this issue and we applaud the federal government for launching the first phase of this long-overdue process.
Our government is deeply troubled by the high rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls.
It is alarming and unacceptable.
According to Statistics Canada, Indigenous women are six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women.
We need to change that now.
It is critical that we use this national public inquiry to shine a light on this devastating issue, listen and learn, and take strong actions collectively to end this senseless violence.
Ending violence against Indigenous women and girls is a priority for this government.
All Ontarians deserve to feel safe in their communities, workplaces, homes and schools and to be free from the threat of violence.
Along with our Indigenous partners, Ontario has taken a leadership role on this issue.
In 2010, the government established the Joint Working Group on Violence Against Aboriginal Women, which includes representatives from five Indigenous organizations and ten ministries.
The ministries and Indigenous partners are developing Ontario's long-term strategy to end violence against Indigenous women and provide support to their families.
The strategy will consider important issues such as prevention and awareness, socio-economic conditions, community safety and healing, policing, children and youth, accountability and research.
Ontario also proposed 10 Pan-Canadian Actions to improve the situation for Aboriginal women and girls across Canada during the first National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in February 2015.
Our government has committed to lead the coordination of the next National Roundtable, hosted by Manitoba in 2016, and to host the fifth National Aboriginal Women's Summit in the fall of 2016.
We all have a role to play in ending violence against Indigenous women.
A national public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls will be another crucial step on our path to healing and reconciliation.
As we chart a path forward, we will work hand-in-hand with Indigenous organizations, the federal government and other provinces and territories to strengthen existing initiatives and take a coordinated approach to ending violence against Indigenous women and girls."
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