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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:07:22 GMT -5
Canada: Stolen Sisters
On November 12, 1971, 19-year-old Helen Betty Osborne was abducted by four white men in the town of The Pas, Manitoba and then sexually assaulted and brutally killed. More than three decades later, on March 25, 2003, her 16-year-old cousin Felicia Solomon disappeared on her way home from school in Winnipeg. Her body parts were found that summer. "When will the Canadian government finally recognize the real dangers faced by Indigenous women?" says family spokesperson Darlene Osborne "Families like mine all over Canada are wondering how many more sisters and daughters we have to lose before real government action is taken."
Amnesty International has launched a campaign to stop violence against Indigenous women in Canadian citie
Nineteen year old Helen Betty Osborne was abducted by four white men in the town of The Pas, Manitoba on November 12, 1971 and then sexually assaulted and brutally killed. Recommendations from a government inquiry into her murder have largely gone unimplemented.
Three decades later, on March 25, 2003, Felicia Solomon, a 16-year-old cousin of Helen Betty Osborne, failed to return home from school in Winnipeg. Body parts found three months later were identified as hers.
"When will the Canadian government finally recognize the real dangers faced by Indigenous women?," says family spokesperson Darlene Osborne. "Families like mine all over Canada are wondering how many more sisters and daughters we have to lose before real government action is taken."
An international human rights response
With a release of a new report and an international action appeal, Amnesty International is joining Indigenous families across Canada in urging immediate government action to ensure the safety of Indigenous women in Canadian cities.
The Stolen Sisters report tells the stories of Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or who have disappeared from cities in western Canada. Their stories illustrate three important concerns impacting on the lives of Indigenous women across Canada:
1. the heightened threat of violence created by the social and economic marginalization of Indigenous women within Canadian society;
2. the frequent failure of police and the justice system to provide adequate protection to Indigenous women
3. evidence that some men are exploiting this vulnerability to specifically target Indigenous women for acts of extreme brutality.
A message from Tantoo Cardinal:
As an Aboriginal woman in this country, I recognize that through the efforts of colonization of Canada's Aboriginal population, it is women who have been most adversely affected. There are intensely wound layers of sexism and racism that are at the root of countless acts of violence against Aboriginal women and at the root of an attitude of disregard and inaction to protect and advocate for Aboriginal women.
I acknowledge the deep commitment of all those involved in the development of this report and my prayers are with the stolen sisters and their families. It is my honour to acknowledge this report and to take the steps on this journey with the vision that all our efforts will work towards a safer future for our daughters and granddaughters.
Please take action!!!!
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:18:59 GMT -5
Recent News Releases
AMR 20/004/2004
4 October 2004
Canada: Indifference to the safety of Indigenous women must end
Canadian officials have too long ignored the threat to Indigenous women in Canadian towns and cities. Many are missing, some have been murdered and Canadian authorities are not doing enough to stop the violence, says Amnesty International in a report, Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada, released today.
“All women have the right to live in safety and dignity but overt cultural prejudice and official indifference have put the Indigenous women of Canada in harm’s way,” says Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International. “As a priority, the Governments at all levels in Canada must work with Indigenous women in the country to ensure that no more ‘sisters’ are ‘stolen’ from their communities as the result of discrimination and violence.”<br>
The report is being released as part of a global campaign to stop violence against women. The report tells the stories of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been killed in Vancouver, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg, and draws on wider public information in concluding that this is a serious human rights concern.
Lack of consistent reporting and comprehensive analysis by Canadian police and government agencies of violent crimes against Indigenous women leaves many unanswered questions about the scale and sources of violence. It is Amnesty International's view, however, that the social and economic marginalization of Indigenous women has placed far too many women in harm's way.
The reality of this threat is borne out by the suffering inflicted on so many Indigenous families, sometimes more than once. In one family, over three decades, there have been two murders. On 12 November, 1971, Helen Betty Osborne, a 19-year-old Cree student from Manitoba, was abducted by four white men in The Pas and then sexually assaulted and brutally killed. A provincial inquiry found that police had long been aware of white men sexually preying on Indigenous women and girls in The Pas but “did not feel that the practice necessitated any particular vigilance.”<br>
Three decades later, on 25 March, 2003, Felicia Solomon, a 16-year-old cousin of Helen Betty Osborne, failed to return home from school in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Two months later in June 2003, body parts identified as those of Felicia Solomon were discovered. Her killer has not been found.
“When will the Canadian government finally recognize the real dangers faced by Indigenous women?” says Darlene Osborne, a spokesperson for the family. “Families like mine all over Canada are wondering how many more sisters and daughters we have to lose before real government action is taken.”<br>
The report makes the following links between discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canadian cities:
* Despite assurances to the contrary, police in Canada have often failed to provide Indigenous women with an adequate standard of protection.
* The social and economic marginalization of Indigenous women, along with a history of government policies that have torn apart Indigenous families and communities, has pushed a disproportionate number of Indigenous women into dangerous situations that include extreme poverty, homelessness and prostitution.
* The resulting vulnerability of Indigenous women has been exploited by Indigenous and non-Indigenous men to carry out acts of extreme brutality against them.
* These acts of violence may be motivated by racism, or may be carried out in the expectation that indifference to the welfare and safety of Indigenous women will allow the perpetrators to escape justice.
The report also notes the failure of federal and provincial governments to implement many of the recommendations made by past commissions and inquiries into the welfare and safety of Indigenous people in Canada. Timely implementation of these recommendations would have helped reduce the marginalization of Indigenous women in Canada and thus increased their safety.
The report recommends urgent measures that governments must implement to improve protection for Indigenous women. Police forces must work with Indigenous communities to develop protocols to ensure appropriate and effective police response to reports of missing Indigenous women and children. All governments must ensure adequate, long-term funding of the frontline services needed by women to escape violence.
Comprehensive national research on the magnitude of the problem is immediately needed.
Action must be taken to recruit more Indigenous police and to train others to understand the complexity of Indigenous issues. And there needs to be a commitment by all agencies and levels of government to ensuring the full participation of Indigenous women in the design and implementation of the policies that directly affect their welfare.
“Violence against women is a global human rights crisis, to which all governments must give priority attention. Here in Canada, the double-jeopardy discrimination of gender and Indigenous identity has contributed to the disappearance and murder of so many Indigenous women – this must now end,” says Irene Khan.
Download a PDF copy of the full report.
TAKE ACTION!
For further information, please contact:
John Tackaberry,
Media Relations
(613)744-7667 #236
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:21:58 GMT -5
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:23:49 GMT -5
tolen Sisters: Amnesty International's Recommendations
Stolen Sisters report:
News release
Summary
(webpage)
Summary
(downloadable pdf)
Summary with photos
( 1.5 meg pdf)
Full report
(web page)
Full report
(1.4 meg pdf)
Recommendations
Take action
Sign our electronic petition
Send an email action card to a friend
More ways to take action
Background and updates
FAQ
Photos from our launch
Our global campaign to stop violence against women
What is Amnesty International?
Links
Sisters in Spirit
Aboriginal Women Against Violence Everywhere
Native Women's Association of Canada
Pauktuutit
Métis Women's Secretariat
First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
Canadian officials have a clear and inescapable obligation to ensure the safety of Indigenous women, to bring those responsible for attacks against them to justice, and to address the deeper problems of marginalization, dispossession and impoverishment that have placed so many Indigenous women in harm’s way.
All levels of government in Canada should work urgently and closely with Indigenous peoples’ organizations, and Indigenous women in particular, to institute plans of action to stop violence against Indigenous women. The following platform for action is based on the recommendations made by the families of missing women, frontline organizations working for Indigenous women’s welfare and safety, and official government inquiries and commissions, as well as standard interpretations of the human rights obligations of governments.
1. Acknowledge the seriousness of the problem
All levels of government, including Indigenous governance structures, should:
* publicly condemn the high rates of violence against Indigenous women – whether within Indigenous communities and society as whole -- and make public their plans to address the crisis.
* undertake a review of outstanding recommendations from Canadian commissions, inquiries and inquests pertaining to the safety and welfare of Indigenous people with a view to ensuring their timely implementation.
* clearly outline the measures taken to address the problem of violence against Indigenous women in Canada in reports to relevant UN human rights bodies, including the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Human Rights Committee.
2. Support research into the extent and causes of violence against Indigenous women
* The federal government should ensure adequate funding for comprehensive national research on violence against Indigenous women, including the creation of a national registry to collect and analyze statistical information from all jurisdictions.
* In consultation with Indigenous peoples’ organizations and organizations representing ethnic minorities, protocols should be developed to ensure that police consistently record and appropriately use data on the ethnicity of the victims and perpetrators of violent crimes.
* The federal government should request the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people and Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, to jointly study and document patterns of violence against Indigenous women, including in Canada.
3. Take immediate action to protect women at greatest risk
* Federal, provincial and territorial governments should ensure adequate, sustained, multi-year funding to ensure the provision of culturally appropriate services such as shelters and counseling for Indigenous women and girls.
* Police should work closely with Indigenous women’s organizations and other frontline groups to identify and implement appropriate and effective protocols for action on missing persons cases, with a view to developing standards for police response in keeping with the risks to Indigenous women and girls.
* Police forces should provide specialized staffing to review and coordinate responses to missing persons cases.
* As part of ongoing review and implementation of laws regarding the sex trade in Canada, give police clear instructions to ensure that the fundamental rights of women involved in the sex trade are protected in the course of all law enforcement activities.
4. Provide training and resources for police to make prevention of violence against Indigenous women a genuine priority
* All police officers should receive adequate training to ensure an understanding of violence against women in a range of settings including family violence, child sexual exploitation and violence against women in the sex trade.
* The scenarios used in police training should incorporate issues of cultural sensitivity and violence against women.
* Meetings with Indigenous women leaders and other community members should be organized to build understanding of the specific risks to Indigenous women in Canadian society and establish and strengthen relationships of trust between police and Indigenous communities.
* All police departments should review issues of workload, staffing levels and job rotation to ensure officers have the opportunity to become familiar with and can develop relations of trust with the specific communities they are intended to serve and protect.
* The actions of police, including compliance with policies on the investigation of missing persons cases, should be subject to independent civilian oversight.
* Funding should also be provided for the creation of independent advocates and liaison workers for Indigenous people in contact with police.
* Officers found to have failed to act on reports of missing women, or to have carried out biased or inadequate investigation of violence against women, should be subject to appropriate discipline.
* Clear polices and practices should be established with respect to the timely provision of information, including autopsy results and coroners reports, to the families of missing and murdered persons.
5. Address the social and economic factors that lead to Indigenous women’s extreme vulnerability to violence
* The federal government should provide adequate, sustained, multi-year funding for initiatives to deal with the immediate and intergenerational impacts of both the physical and psychological abuse suffered at residential schools, including the loss of cultural identity.
* Federal, provincial and municipal governments should subject all social programs to a periodic review to ensure the accessibility and resourcing of programs for Indigenous women and families is at least on a par with those available to non-Indigenous people in Canada.
* Federal and provincial governments, with the full participation of Indigenous women, should organize a high level intergovernmental and interdepartmental meeting to ensure proper coordination and information sharing on initiatives to address the safety and welfare of Indigenous women and girls.
* In collaboration with Indigenous representatives and organizations, the federal government should take urgent action to address the chronic unemployment and poverty faced by Indigenous women and men both on and off reserve.
* The federal government should commit to fully implementing outstanding recommendations of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples which address poverty and social marginalization of Indigenous people in Canada, as has repeatedly been urged by United Nations treaty bodies.
6. End the marginalization on Indigenous women in Canadian society
* All levels of government should work with Indigenous peoples to strengthen and expand public education programs, including within the formal school system, that acknowledge and address the history of dispossession and marginalization of Indigenous peoples and the present reality of racism in Canadian society.
* All levels of government should adopt such measures as are necessary to ensure that Indigenous women are consulted in the formulation and implementation of any policy that could affect their welfare and status.
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:25:26 GMT -5
Sign our petition below. Amnesty International has heard from Indigenous families across Canada who have experienced the tragic loss of a mother, a sister or a daughter, murdered or gone missing. Discrimination is a critical factor putting the lives of Indigenous women at risk in Canadian cities. Too many Indigenous families who have gone to the police to report a missing loved one have not received an adequate or compassionate response. Recommendations from high level government commissions have gone unimplemented, allowing the marginalization of Indigenous women and girls to continue in Canadian society. It's time for action. Please join in demanding that Canadian officials take urgent action to stop violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Please sign our online petition: To The Honourable Anne McLellan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: I am deeply concerned about violence against Indigenous women in Canada. I urge the federal government to take the following steps as a matter of priority: * Strongly encourage all police forces across Canada to work with Indigenous women's organizations to identify and implement appropriate and effective protocols for action on missing person cases consistent with the specific risks to Indigenous women and girls. * Ensure adequate, sustained, multi-year funding to culturally appropriate services such as shelters and counselling, needed to prevent violence against Indigenous women. * Provide adequate funding for comprehensive national research on violence against Indigenous women, including the creation of a national registry to collect and analyze statistical information from all jurisdictions. please sign the petiton online at - www.amnesty.ca/stolensisters/stolensisters.php |
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:26:08 GMT -5
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Post by CCADP on May 15, 2005 21:27:17 GMT -5
5 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION
1. Write a letter
Let Canadian government officials know that you are deeply concerned and expect action. A personal letter is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate your commitment. Your letter doesn't have to be long. In fact, a short, simple letter can be just as powerful.
Write to:
The Honourable Anne McLellan
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
(There's no postage required if you're writing from Canada.)
Express your deep concern about violence against Indigenous women in Canada.
Ask the federal government to take the following steps as a matter of urgent priority:
* Strongly encourage all police forces across Canada to work with Indigenous women’s organizations to identify and implement appropriate and effective protocols for action on missing person cases consistent with the specific risks to Indigenous women and girls.
* Ensure adequate, sustained, multi-year funding to culturally appropriate services such as shelters and counselling, needed to prevent violence against Indigenous women.
* Provide adequate funding for comprehensive national research on violence against Indigenous women, including the creation of a national registry to collect and analyze statistical information from all jurisdictions.
2. Keep writing
Send similar letters to your Member of Parliament. You can find a complete list of MPs here. If you'd like to write a more involved letter, please take a look at Amnesty International's complete list of recommendations to government. Focus on those recommendations about which you have the strongest feelings or have personal or professional insight. And if government officials respond to your letter, take advantage of the opportunity to write back and push for further action.
3. Get others involved
Ask friends, family members and colleagues to take action as well. Petitions are an easy way to involve others. There are two petitions available for downloading and printing from this site. One is addressed to the Prime Minister and calls for further research to better understand and prevent violence against Indigenous women. The second should be sent to your provincial or territorial government and concerns critical factors that increase the risk to Indigenous women.
* Download petition to federal government
* Download petition to your provincial or territorial government
4. Support the Native Women's Association Sisters in Spirit campaign
On March 22, Amnesty International joined the Native Women's Association of Canada, Canadian churches, and other concerned groups across the country in calling on the federal government to provide adequate and sustainable funding for research and education about violence against Indigenous women, including the establishment of a national hotline and registry to report missing women and register statistics. For more information on the Sisters in Spirit campaign, please click here.
5. Join Amnesty International's global campaign to Stop Violence Against Women
On March 8, 2004 Amnesty International launched a global campaign to stop violence against women. To learn more about this campaign and take action on a range of concerns around the world, please click here.
Five ways to take action to stop violence against Indigenous women
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