Wake Up Call for Canada: End violence against Indigenous women

	A vigil to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, October 2007.

The tragic level of violence faced by Indigenous women in Canada has been well-documented.

According to the Sisters in Spirit initiative of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, over 520 cases of Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered, most within the last three decades.

Long-standing patterns of marginalisation, impoverishment and discrimination are critical factors putting Indigenous women in Canada at risk of violence and exploitation. These same factors have also denied many Indigenous women full protection of the police and justice system.

There's no excuse for Canada's failure to implement a comprehensive, national plan of action to stop violence against Indigenous women.

In the lead up to 25 November - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - and throughout the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence (which runs until 10 December), join Amnesty International members in every region of the world in asking Canada to set a positive example by establishing a national plan of action to stop violence against Indigenous women.

TAKE ACTION: Send the email below to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, calling for immediate action.

Read more: No more stolen sisters: The need for a comprehensive response to discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canada (Amnesty International report, PDF, 768 KB)

If you receive a response please let us know.