Red Dress Day a symbol of remembrance for MMIWG
A simple red dress can be a powerful symbol of hope.
Today is Red Dress Day, an annual event held to raise awareness for the untold numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada. Members of the public are asked to wear a red dress or to display a red dress in a public place as a symbol of hope and an acknowledgement that missing and murdered women have not been forgotten.
According to data published by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Indigenous women made up three per cent of the country’s female population in 2008, but suffered roughly 10 per cent of all female homicides that year. More than half of the cases occurred in the western provinces, with British Columbia and Alberta home to the highest numbers.
This year Red Dress Day takes on additional meaning, as the hearings at the national inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women are scheduled to open later this month. After years of pushing for a public inquiry, Indigenous leaders said the issue will finally be receiving much-needed national attention.