The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police stands among the few jurisdictions to publish statistics on missing persons. Its latest report is tragically telling — 59 per cent of missing women and girls are of aboriginal ancestry. Thats because violence against aboriginal women is so much more than a crime, explains Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association. It is the outcome of systemic racism that devalues the lives of aboriginal women in this country, he says. Living with violence, or in fear of violence, is in opposition to the fundamental conditions and resources necessary to achieve optimal health and, as such, is much more than just a crime. Violence against aboriginal women is the wage of social, economic and yes, political systems, Culbert argues. And as such, it is preventable. But looking at some 1,200 cases of missing and murdered women in Canada recorded by the RCMP in the last three decades, you wouldnt know it. It will take much more than data to redress the situation, says Culbert. The time for drawing attention to the plight of aboriginal women is long past, he notes. What’s needed is concrete action to change the conditions which foster both the violence against aboriginal women and the antipathy of non-aboriginal society. ( Charles Upham )
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 17:24:47 +0000
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