Module 6

In 2004 Amnesty International issued the report Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence in Canada.

Before that time Canadian indigenous women’s organizations and activists, as well as the families of murdered and missing Indigenous women had sought to draw attention to the shocking levels of violence faced by indigenous women in the country, as well as the discrimination and systemic failings that left them inadequately protected. This report, however, was the first time that a large, mainstream human rights organization had spoken out about the concern.

In 2009, marking the fifth anniversary of the release of the report and with continued concern about the alarming levels of violence, Amnesty released an update, No More Stolen Sisters.

The key recommendation Amnesty International proposed, echoing families and indigenous women’s groups, was for the federal government to lead the development of a comprehensive national action plan to address the violence and discrimination. The recommendation included a call for a national inquiry to examine the causes and scale of the violence The government for many years rejected these recommendations.

Amnesty sought to change the government’s mind by bringing the issue to the attention of the UN treaty bodies. As noted earlier, after several years, five of the UN treaty bodies endorsed the call for a national inquiry on the issue and in 2016 such an inquiry was established.

Alex Neve, Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada, visited a class at the University of Ottawa to discuss how his organization used the various UN procedures to draw attention to this issue and gain support for the recommendation to establish a national inquiry. Students questioned him regarding the tactics used and the impact of the UN procedures.

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