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Violence Against Indigenous Women
Day 7: 63 push-ups
Today’s target is 63 push-ups, representing the 63% of Indigenous women who have experienced physical or sexual assault in their lifetime.
The violence experienced by six out of 10 Indigenous women and girls in Canada stems from a long history of colonialism that stretches into the present day and continues to impact Indigenous families and communities.
Before colonialization, Indigenous women were highly valued and held positions of leadership and decision-making power. Yet, colonialization replaced traditional matrilineal views with patriarchal norms, while contributing to the normalization of violence against women. Policies such as the Indian Act refused Indigenous women many rights and excluded them from community governance.
Today, the threat and incidence of violence has created a culture of fear for many Indigenous women and girls, a burden of trauma and mental distress for survivors of violence, and grief for families and communities who have had their Sisters stolen from them.
In 2019, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released their final report, which stated that there are 231 steps that need to be taken by governments and Canadians to end the genocide against Indigenous women and girls.
Some of these steps that can be taken by all Canadians include:
- Denounce and speak out against violence against Indigenous women and girls
- Decolonize by learning the true history of Canada and Indigenous history in your local area
- Create time and space for relationships based on respect as human beings, supporting and embracing differences with kindness, love, and respect.
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