Amnesty International Canada || Protecting Individuals at Risk

Stolen Sisters: No more Indigenous women lost to violence
Posted on: 02/10/08

Felicia Solomon, a sixteen-year-old cousin of Helen Betty Osborne, was abducted and murdered in Winnipeg in 2003. No one has ever been charged with the crime.

This terrible crime is part of long-standing and deep-rooted patterns of discrimination and impoverishment that put so many Indigenous women and girls in harm’s way. According to a government statistic, young Indigenous women are five times more likely than other women of the same age to die as the result of violence.

The role of racism and discrimination in violence against Indigenous women has been documented by Amnesty International in our Stolen Sisters report. And it has been acknowledged by police and government officials. But not enough is being done to stop these racist and sexist attacks.

Please sign Amnesty’s e-petition calling for a national plan of action to stop violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada

3299 signatures have been added to the petition. Click here to view petition signatures.

To the Minister of Public Safety: I call on the federal government to work with Indigenous women's organizations to establish a comprehensive, national plan of action to stop violence against Indigenous women and girls. Such a plan of action must: Uphold and promote the rights of all Indigenous women and girls whether they live on reserve or in other communities. Ensure effective coordination of federal, provincial, and territorial policies, programs and services affecting the lives and well-being of Indigenous women and girls. Address long-standing and deep-rooted patterns of discrimination and impoverishment that put so many Indigenous women and girls in harm’s way. Ensure that police in every jurisdiction have clear guidance on effective and appropriate responses to threats to Indigenous women's lives and safety, including missing persons protocols based on clear recognition of the heightened risk faced by Indigenous women and girls. Help Indigenous women escape from abusive relationships and dangerous situations by ensuring adequate, sustained funding to shelters and frontline organizations providing culturally appropriate services. Add your own personal message about this case: Sincerely,
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