NWAC supports MMIWG national inquiry’s extension request
- EFN Staff | March 12, 2018
The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) fully supports the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ recent request for an extension.
In a released statement, the NWAC’s President Francyne Joe said the Inquiry has a great deal of work to do on behalf of Indigenous women and girls with more than 760 families that have testified or shared their statements but many others still want that opportunity to have their truths heard.
“We are concerned that without an extension the Inquiry will not complete expert and institutional hearings,” said President Joe in a media release. “These parts of the Inquiry are crucial to identifying systemic causes of violence against indigenous women and girls, and without more time to complete a full array of expert and institutional hearings the Inquiry risks simply replicating existing research in this area.”
The Government of Canada officially launched the MMIWG National Inquiry two years ago and earlier this year, NWAC’s Board of Directors reviewed the progress at the Inquiry and passed a motion of support in favour of extending the National Inquiry for another two years.
NWAC continues to remain their focus on the families and survivors throughout this Inquiry. Joe said there is a clear need for proactive and thorough community outreach from the Inquiry and this should include the establishment and participation of regional and issue specific advisory groups that would help identify and provide recommendations to end systemic causes of violence.
She added that transparency needs to be a priority and the Inquiry needs to provide families with the resources necessary to meaningfully participate in the Inquiry, regardless of the outcome of the extension request. Joe also said in order for the National Inquiry to fulfill its mandate, accountability is paramount.
“Accountability in the Inquiry remains a critical part of its ability to succeed,” she said. “Key areas require improvement and NWAC will be releasing another report card regarding these areas in the next few weeks. This report will outline the progress and provide our recommendations.”
There were some flaws in the National Inquiry since it first started, which included staff resignations. The deadline to meet the National Inquiry’s mandate will be approaching September 2018.