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17th Annual Valentine’s Day Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two Spirit Peoples====
Calgary, Alberta – Friday, February 14th at 6:30 pm in the Scarboro United Church, 134 Scarboro Ave SW, we will be hosting the 17th Annual Valentine’s Day Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women will be held to honour the humanity of the thousands of Women, Girls and Two Spirit Peoples who have been so cruelly wrenched from their families. Friends and family of those we have lost will be in attendance, along with hundreds of other community members.
The march is part of a nation-wide movement to remember all women, girls, Two Spirit and all peoples who have been murdered, have disappeared and those who continue to be exploited. It is also meant to draw attention to the disproportionate numbers of Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit who are no longer with us.
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About the Event:
The organizing committee welcomes everyone interested in honoring the women. Doors open at 6 pm, performances and speeches at 6:30pm, and the march itself departing at 7:30 p.m.
Red cut-outs and frames with the names of missing and murdered women will be carried to honour those women, their families, and their loved ones who are still looking for answers. Out of respect to the family members and friends we March for, organizations are asked to leave their banners at home.
We will also be offering pins from the Moose Hide Campaign to show our commitment as community members to end violence against women, girls, and Two Spirit peoples.
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Background Statistics:
• Recent statistics estimate that 1200 Aboriginal women and girls are missing or have been murdered; others put the figure more like 5,000.
• Indigenous women are five times more likely to die as a result of violence than any other group of women in Canada.
• Indigenous women are at a greater risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner, and are equally at risk of being assaulted by a stranger; a clear indication of the racist and sexist underpinnings of violence against Aboriginal women.
• Because of the continuing effects of the Indian Act, Indigenous women face insecurities related to housing, health, employment, and access to services both on and off the reserve; making them more vulnerable to violence.
• In recent years, the Canadian government has made significant cuts to programs designed to combat violence against women. Most notable was the decision in 2010 to cease funding to Sisters in Spirit, which was creating a database of the cases of the missing and murdered women.
*Statistics from the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, and Amnesty International
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Links:
Women’s Memorial Marches - http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/national/
NWAC - http://www.nwac.ca/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Scarboro United Church, 134 Scarboro Avenue SW,Calgary, Alberta, Canada
