Indigenous Women's Justice Plan calls for major reform by province and feds
The BC First Nations Justice Council has released a detailed plan for broad reforms it says will improve the lives of Indigenous women and girls.
BCFNJC said it held engagement across the province as it drafted the plan, hearing directly from Indigenous women about their lived experiences and their interactions with police, social workers, the courts and the criminal justice system.
The council released the final draft of its Indigenous Women’s Justice Plan at a forum in Vancouver on Monday.
Attendees heard that Indigenous women and girls in B.C. are far more likely to be victims of violence, including sexual violence, than non-Indigenous women, and are significantly over-represented in the foster care system and correctional facilities.
"It's unacceptable that Indigenous women and girls and (Two-Spirit)-plus people are on the negative end of all of these indicators. It's absolutely unacceptable,” said Kory Wilson, BCFNJC chair.
Among the many recommendations in the plan are calls for expanded cultural and trauma-focused programming for incarcerated Indigenous women.
"We know that the justice system is doing exactly what it was meant to do and that was to punish, to ostracize, to push down,” said Darla Rasmussen, who spoke at the forum. “But, we as Indigenous peoples know that doesn't work."
Addressing more than 500 people, Rasmussen opened up about her sister’s life in gangs, struggles with addiction and eventual suicide.
"When Rhonda took her life it was devastating, mostly because she left behind beautiful children. And the sadness of that is that my nieces are also a product of that,” Rasmussen said.
Despite living with significant emotional trauma from that experience and others, Rasmussen, who grew up in foster care, is optimistic justice reform will make a difference in the lives of Indigenous women.
The BCFNJC will now share its plan with the provincial and federal governments and would like to see them make significant changes to the child welfare system, corrections and policing.
"The reality is a lot of this also stems from racism. Systemic, institutionalized racism that has to be addressed in an honest way,” said Wilson.
She’s confident the changes the council is pushing for will allow the next generation of Indigenous girls to grow up in a brighter future filled with opportunity instead of trauma.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'