Ontario is taking action to better protect aboriginal women.
The province is creating a new Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council that will provide culturally-relevant advice on violence prevention.
Minister of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford says they will rely on the roughly 11 First Nations, Metis, Inuit and LGBTQ2S leaders and experts in violence prevention and will focus on issues like human trafficking as well as child, youth and family healing and well-being.
“Moving forward we want to make sure we get a good Council and good advice from the people that do the work out there.”
Jill Dunlop, the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, will co-chair the council.
Rickford says “She will primarily Chair. But we’ll take a look at the issues and the opportunities that the Council can seize. We have a great profile of people on the Council.”
The Kenora-Rainy River MPP stresses right now there is no dedicated provincial forum for Indigenous women and experts to engage in violence prevention issues.
Dunlop says “The high rate of violence against Indigenous women and girls is unacceptable and must be addressed as quickly as possible. Indigenous women deserve to feel safe and secure. By establishing this Council, we can actively work in partnership with Indigenous leaders and community partners to deal with with violence in a culturally-relevant way.”
Through Ontario's new Indigenous Women's Advisory Council, we are ensuring that the steps we take to end violence against women are culturally-relevant, accessible, & truly reflect the voices of Indigenous communities across Ontario. https://t.co/WgFyGwyKD6 @_ONWA_ @GregRickford pic.twitter.com/yEbEoe1PRn
— Jill Dunlop, MPP (@JillDunlop1) June 3, 2020
