Red Dress Day
- Join the City and Spirit of the Children Society at an event on May 5.
Red Dress Day on May 5 honours the memory and lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S) across Canada and the US. Started in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black, the day has grown into a movement to educate and create awareness and calls to action for systemic change.
The City recognizes and supports this important movement. Throughout the month of May, red dress displays will be visible at many civic facilities; when you encounter these displays, we encourage you to take a moment to reflect and honour the lives lost. The City also works alongside Spirit of the Children Society to plan their Red Dress Day event each year, through assistance with logistics, facility use, and staffing.
The truth
- Indigenous women and girls are five times more likely to experience violence than any other population in Canada and this violence tends to result in more serious harm.
- Indigenous women make up 16% of all female homicide victims, and 11% of missing women, even though Indigenous people only make up 4.3% of the population of Canada.
- From 2001 to 2014 the average rate of homicides involving Indigenous female victims was four times higher than that of homicides involving non-Indigenous female victims.
- Violence against Indigenous women and girls is systemic and a national crisis that requires urgent, informed and collaborative action.
- Current public data on MMIWG2S oversimplifies and underrepresents the scale of the issue, yet still demonstrates a complex and pervasive pattern of violence against Indigenous women and girls who are often targeted because of their gender and Indigenous identity.
(Source: The Assembly of First Nations)
learn about MMIWG2S
The following links provide resources that you can use to learn more:
- Spirit of the Children Society Red Dress Day Teachings
- Recommended Reading List from the New Westminster Public Library
- Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
show support
Wear red: Wear red on May 5 and/or wear a Red Dress Pin throughout the month of May. Share a photo on social media with the hashtags: #MMIW, #MMIWG2S, #RedDressDay, #WhyWeWearRed, #NoMoreStolenSisters
Create your own display: Show your support by putting up your own red dress display at your residence or business. Consider painting your windows red, designing a red-themed window, putting up a red dress cut out, or hanging a red dress in your window or tree.
Take action beyond Red Dress Day: The article link below shares 7 calls to action for Indigenous allies. Non-Indigenous peoples have a role to play in the fight for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women in this country.