$10 million not enough to restore justice and dignity for Indigenous women in Canada
By Jamaal Bell,
After 600 Aboriginal women and girls go missing or are found murdered in Canada, the federal government decides to throw-a-bone and give $10 million dollars. In March, the Canadian Minister of Justice budgeted $10 million over two years to address the issue of murdered and missing women in Canada, however, they have yet to figure out how to use the money.
Many justice organizations such as Amnesty International and Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) have made recommendations. Both organizations suggest that the $10 million is not enough to support the decades of injustice for Aboriginal women and girls.
NWAC said the $10 million cannot prompt real change in the lives of women who are experiencing violence, families who have never received justice, or appropriate counselling or support through victim services. NWAC have been collecting evidence, raising awareness, and developing policy directives to address the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls since 2005.