Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women Action Group - Action No. 3

Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women Action Group participants form a human billboard in front of three big box stores in Transcona displaying the statement "No More Stolen Sisters".

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• SVAAWAG
• Winnipeg
• Showing Up Speaking Out
• intervention
• collaboration
• community
• solidarity
• Amnesty International
• Participation
• Civic engagement
• activism

[cornishrob123]

what about all women being abused ?

[ShowingUpSpeakingOut]

@cornishrob123 Great question. We're glad you're asking it - and we hope you ask it all the time, in all kinds of places, and all kinds of ways. What about ending violence against all women? There are groups and/or government departments representing women, families, human rights, and justice groups, amongst others, who are asking that question, and working on it. We support putting resources, and people, and public awareness on this issue.

[ShowingUpSpeakingOut]

But......Why are we raising awareness about ending violence against this particular group of women, instead of all women? It's because young Aboriginal women are more than 5 times likely to be victims of violence than other women in Canada, and because those crimes are less likely to be solved. Aboriginal women experience violence not only as women, but because of the racism embedded in Canadian social and justice systems.

[ShowingUpSpeakingOut]

Amnesty International raised this as an issue separately than the other human rights work they do on ending violence against women. They released reports on Canada's violations of the rights of Aboriginal women in 2004 and 2009, you can read them here: amnesty [dot] ca/stolensisters

[ShowingUpSpeakingOut]

We want an end to the racism present in our society that allows things like:

- less media coverage about missing and murdered Aboriginal women compared to non Aboriginal women

- less resources put into social and housing programs for women and families on reserves than for women living off reserves

- lower rates of police and justice responses to violent crimes against Aboriginal women than other women in Canada

[ShowingUpSpeakingOut]

- more Aboriginal women and children living in poverty than other women

- more Aboriginal women in prison than other women

And.... what we're not saying on these actions, but in solidarity with the voices who are saying it....

we want an end to violence against all women.

[AfroNinjaX]

@cornishrob123 Nice to know that there are still people who think that way in the 21st Century, keep thinking that way and things will surely improve for people who continue to suffer......

[cornishrob123]

This whole world needs to move away from race issues and just focus on the action or incident's

[lmollot]

here were all these street demonstrators when the girls were on the streets and needing a warm room? give legal rights to 13 yo to work for equal pay- legalize matriarchy clans-longhouses and farm collectives

[lmollot]

EASY SOLUTIONS

for hope see iroquois women by spittal-& utube umoja village kenya & mosuo women china- in hope that women will return to the grandmothers clan longhouses & womens farm collectives- please send me your solutions to pass on to others-for the children