Are you wearing red today? Did you know that May 5th marks the National Day of Awareness for Missing Indigenous Women and Girls? This day is a solemn reminder of the urgent need to address the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG) in North America. It's an opportunity for all of us to come together, raise awareness, and demand action to end this injustice.
The statistics regarding MMIWG are staggering. According to a report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Indigenous women and girls are overrepresented in cases of missing and murdered individuals in Canada. The report found that Indigenous women and girls make up only 4% of the female population in Canada but account for 16% of female homicides and 11% of missing women.
In the United States, a 2018 study by the Urban Indian Health Institute found that there were 5,712 cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, but only 116 of those cases were logged in the Department of Justice's database. This is a clear indication of the systemic neglect and lack of action regarding this issue.
On this day of awareness, we must take action to bring attention to this crisis and demand justice for those who have been lost. We can do this by sharing information about MMIWG on social media, attending events in our communities, and supporting Indigenous-led organizations that are working towards solutions.
We can also call on our elected officials to take action. There are currently several bills before the U.S. Congress, such as Savanna's Act and the Not Invisible Act, which aim to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We can contact our representatives and urge them to support these bills and other efforts to bring an end to this crisis. We must continue to support Indigenous-led efforts to address this issue.
We must continue to raise awareness and support Indigenous-led efforts to address this issue. By taking action today, we can help bring justice to those who have been lost and ensure that no more Indigenous women and girls go missing.
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