Another call for action on murdered native women

Canada should hold an inquiry into the murders and disappearances of aboriginal women, concludes a report by the human rights division of the Organization of American States. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) studied the problem for almost three years in the western province of British Columbia, where it is most acute.

The national police, the RCMP has reported that 1,180 aboriginal girls were murdered or missing between 1980 and 2012. It also found they face much more violence than do other women in Canada.

‘Not high on our radar,’ says prime minister

Several groups have called for an inquiry but Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly refused saying the issue is not part of a “sociological phenomenon,” but rather a crime and should be treated as such. In December he said an inquiry “isn’t high on our radar, to be honest.”  However, his government did commit to a five-year plan to address violence against aboriginal women and girls.

‘Police failed to adequately prevent’

The IACHR report says police have “failed to adequately prevent and protect indigenous women and girls from killings and disappearances” and that multiple police jurisdictions in British Columbia have resulted in “confusion.” It found the murders and disappearances are part of a broader problem of violence and discrimination.

Besides suggesting a national plan or public inquiry into the issue, the IACHR recommends:

-The creation of a data collection system to record cases of murdered and missing aboriginal females.

-Providing a safe public transport option along British Columbia’s Highway 16, the so-called Highway of Tears, from which so many have disappeared.

-Mandatory training for police officers, prosecutors, judges and court personnel “in the causes and consequences of gender-based violence.”

The leaders of Canada’s provinces are expected to hold a national roundtable on this issue on February 27^th.