The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded June 2019. This inquiry was in response to the overrepresentation of Indigenous women and girls reported murdered or missing. This reports also references Two Spirit experiences. Many factors contribute to the increased vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls including discrimination, poverty, and colonization. In British Columbia the strip of Highway16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert is also known as the Highway of Tears due to the high number of women and girls reported murdered and missing in this area. The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded that Canada's systemic neglect constitutes genocide under international law.
"Red Dress Day" is an annual day that typically takes place on May 5 in Canada. It is a day to remember, acknowledge, and honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples (MMIWG2S+).
As Amnesty International notes, "Red Dress Day serves as a painful reminder of the ongoing genocidal crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people and invites solidarity and action."
The symbol of the red dress is attributed to Metis artist, Jaime Black-Morsette, and their REDress Project which began in 2010. The purpose of Black-Morsetts's project was to draw attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, and the red dress was meant to "to honour and symbolize the lost lives of Indigenous women at the hands of violence." (Wikipedia)
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