Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women. May 5 is Red Dress Day in Canada and the U.S., also known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWG2S). Started in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black, Red Dress Day is a movement to educate and raise awareness of the systemic injustices that contribute to violence against Indigenous women and girls.
Why Do We Need Red Dress Day?
The sheer number of Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people who experience violence in Canada is staggering.
- 56% of Indigenous women have suffered physical assault and 46% have experienced sexual assault. By comparison, about 33% of non-Indigenous women have suffered these assaults in their lifetimes.
- Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women, yet Indigenous people make up only 4.3% of the population of Canada.
- A little more than 13% of Indigenous people experience violence from their current or ex-partner, a proportion twice as high as non-Indigenous people (5.7%).
- Between 2009 and 2021, the rate of homicide against First Nations, Métis and Inuit women and girls was six times higher than the rate among their non-Indigenous counterparts.
- Police were less likely to lay or recommend a charge of first-degree murder—the most serious type of homicide charge—when the victim was Indigenous (27%) compared to when she was not (54%).
How Red Dress Day Began
This day began as a response to more than 1,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada by artist Jaimie Black’s art installation, The REDress Project. It has come to represent MMIWG2S+ across Canada and the U.S. The red dresses are a visual reminder of all those who went missing and a play on words with “re-dress.)
MMIWG2S+ was the subject of a three-year National Inquiry, resulting in the 2019 report, Reclaiming Power and Place, and 231 Calls for Justice that outline the actions needed to halt and redress the devastating violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people.
“The legacies of residential schools, the 60s scoop and ongoing colonization including resource theft and socio-economic conditions like poverty, sexism, racism and discrimination often fall the hardest on women and gender-diverse people,” notes North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services.
Ways to Participate in Red Dress Day
- Put up a display at your home or office. It may be as simple as hanging a red dress in your window or tree or creating cutouts of red dresses for your window.
- Learn more about the issues. Check out our resource list below.
- Wear red on May 5th. Local groups or Nations may be selling painted or beaded pins which also helps to support local Indigenous artists.
- Hold a session at your local organization or CRN. Invite a local Elder or Indigenous person to speak about the issue.
- Don’t stop learning and speaking out. Become an ally in the fight for justice for MMIWG2S+ in Canada. Download the Indigenous Ally Toolkit from Treaty 7 which has valuable information and is a great place to start.
Resources on MMIWG2S+ for Red Dress Day 2024 and Every Day
To help you recognize MMIWG 2024, BC CRN has collected information and resources to share with your networks.
- Reclaiming Power and Place: the final report of the National Commission on MMIWG.
- BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres: Raising awareness of and educating Canadians on the current state of reconciliation in Canada, UNDRIP, Indigenous Ally Toolkit and much more.
- Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC): Read about the Safe Passage Project, a community-driven, trauma-informed and survivor-informed initiative.
- About National MMIWG2S Awareness Day (Simon Fraser University): Includes videos, podcasts and books to learn about the issue, survivors’ stories and other sharable information.
- Resources for the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (May 5) webinars (Western University)
- Indigenous Women, Intimate Partner Violence and Housing (Western University)
Explore our website to learn more about BC CRN or connect with your local CRN for more information or resources.
