News Release

Community and Advocacy Groups Respond to Missing Women Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report

December 17, 2012

(Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, B.C.) Community and advocacy groups who were shut out of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry expressed full support today for the families of the missing and murdered women, and strongly reiterated the call for a national public inquiry into the hundreds of murders and disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls.  These organizations also expressed continued support for the previously announced investigation by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.  The final report by Commissioner Wally Oppal was released to the families this morning at 9:00 a.m. and to the general public at 1:00 p.m.

The Inquiry has been deeply and systemically flawed from the beginning.  The voices and experiences of Downtown Eastside women, Aboriginal organizations and women’s groups were shut out.  Family members’ needs and wishes have been, and continue to be, blatantly disregarded and disrespected, and the proceedings favoured police and police evidence.  This failed Inquiry, far from assisting Aboriginal women and women from the Downtown Eastside, has ironically reinforced their marginalization.

Community and advocacy organizations that were granted participant status at the Inquiry were denied natural justice when the Province refused to provide the necessary funding to support their complete participation.  Groups were betrayed by Premier Christy Clark and former Attorney General Barry Penner, who made the discriminatory decision to not fund their counsel, contrary to the Commission’s own recommendation, a decision unprecedented in Canada.  At the same time, the Province provided public funding for twenty-five lawyers for police agencies and individual police officers.   On April 2, 2012, fourteen groups sent an open letter to Commissioner Oppal advising that they would not be participating in the Policy Forums or Study Commissions aspects of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, citing concerns about discrimination and the conduct of the Commission to date.

There is a glaring and outstanding need for a full and thorough examination of the systemic factors that underpin the issue of missing and murdered women and girls- the deep sexism, poverty, racism, and colonialism.  There is also a need, that is tragically evident, for the Province to work with the families and community organizations to make real change.  The alarming and disproportionately high rate of Aboriginal girls and women that continue to go missing and be murdered must be addressed.  We cannot continue to lose our daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, and aunts.

Although the members of this coalition were shut out of the Inquiry process, we have been meeting informally to discuss how to move forward in order to support the families, and to pursue justice for the missing and murdered girls and women.   These groups received the report along with the general public at 1:00 p.m. today.  Because the report is approximately 1500 pages long, the coalition will review the report and release a more detailed response in early 2013.

For more information, please contact:

*         Aboriginal Front Door Society, Mona Woodward, (604) 697-5662

*         Amnesty International Canada, Elizabeth Berton-Hunter, (416) 363-9933 ext. 332

*         Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution, Alice Lee, (604) 318-3188

*         Assembly of First Nations, Jenna Young,
(613) 314-8157

*         Atira Women’s Resource Society, Janice Abbott, (604) 331-1420

*         B.C. Assembly of First Nations, Courtney Daws,
(604) 922-7733

*         B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Lindsay Lyster,
(604) 689-4457

*         Battered Women’s Support Services, Angela Marie MacDougall

*         Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres/Association Canadienne des Centres Contre les Aggressions a Caractere Sexuel, Lisa Steacy, (604) 876-2622

*         Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, Tribal Chair Terry Teegee, (250) 640-3256

*         Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society, Katrina Pacey, (604) 729-7849

*         Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, Carol Martin, (604) 681-8480 ext. 233

*         Ending Violence Association British Columbia, Beverly Jacobs, (604) 633-2506 ext. 16

*         EVE, Trisha Baptiste, (604) 518-4798

*         February 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee, Lisa Yellow-Quill, (604) 618-1061

*         First Nations Summit, Colin Braker, (604) 328-4094

*         National Congress of Black Women’s Foundation, Juliane Okot Bitek, (604) 612-0995

*         Native Women’s Association of Canada, Michele Audette, (613) 733-3033

*         PACE: Providing Alternatives Counselling & Education Society, Karen Mirsky, (604) 614-6745

*         PHS Community Services Society, Kailin See,
(778) 997-3920

*         Pivot Legal Society, Doug King, (778) 898-6349

*         Poverty and Human Rights Centre, Shelagh Day, (604) 872-0750

*         Provincial Council of Women of British Columbia, Rosemary Mallory, (604) 985-0878

*         Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, (250) 490-5314

*         Union Gospel Mission, Genesa Greening,
(604) 506-0845

*         Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter, Hilla Kerner, (604) 872-8212

*         West Coast LEAF, Laura Track,
(604) 684-8772, ext.214

*         WISH Drop-in Centre Society, Kate Gibson,
(604) 720-5517

MEDIA ADVISORY

Community and Advocacy Groups Respond to Missing Women Commission of Inquiry’s Final Report

A coalition of more than twenty-five community and advocacy groups has prepared a statement responding to the release of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry’s final report. The statement expresses support for the families, calls for a national inquiry into the hundreds of missing and murdered women and girls, reiterates support for the investigation previously announced by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and calls for a systemic analysis of the underlying conditions of sexism, racism, poverty, and colonialism.

In Vancouver, the majority of the organizations will be releasing their statement at a press conference on Monday, December 17 at 2:30 p.m. at the Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue, 580 West Hastings Street (Room 470).

In Prince George, the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council and the Carrier Sekani Family Services will hold a press conference on Monday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m., in the Carrier Sekani Family Services boardroom, 987 Fourth Avenue.

For more information contact:
Don Bain, Executive Director, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, (604) 831-9709 or donb@ubcic.bc.ca

The following organizations are signatory:

· Aboriginal Front Door Society
· Amnesty International Canada
· Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution
· Assembly of First Nations
· Atira Women’s Resource Society
· B.C. Assembly of First Nations
· B.C. Civil Liberties Association
· Battered Women’s Support Services
· Butterflies in Spirit
· Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres/Association Canadienne des Centres Contre les Aggressions a Caractere Sexuel
· Carrier Sekani Tribal Council
· Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society
· Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre
· Ending Violence Association British Columbia
· EVE, formerly Exploited Voices Now Educating
· Justice for Girls
· February 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee
· First Nations Summit
· National Congress of Black Women’s Foundation
· Native Women’s Association of Canada
· PACE: Providing Alternatives Counselling & Education Society
· PHS Community Services Society
· Pivot Legal Society
· Poverty and Human Rights Centre
· Provincial Council of Women of British Columbia
· Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs
· Union Gospel Mission
· Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter
· West Coast LEAF
· WISH Drop-in Centre Society
· Women’s Equality and Security Coalition

Grim news in Vancouver, a day after National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, a man went on what can only be characterized as a misogynist spree, attacking three women.

Vancouver Police have a man in custody following a series of assaults this morning and are working on confirming his identity.

An elderly woman believed to be in her 70s is in serious condition in the hospital with life-threatening injuries following an assault in the 200 block of Columbia at 9:30.

A second woman was assaulted in the 700 block of Pacific shortly after at 9:50 and is in hospital recovering from her injuries.

The third woman was attacked across the street minutes later and is in hospital in grave condition.

Vancouver Police are hoping the public can help identify the first woman who was gravely injured in the assault.

The woman is believed to be in her 70s or 80s, with a slim build, grey salt-and-pepper hair, 5′ tall and 105 lbs. She has one gold and one silver ring on her left hand, a jade bracelet on her left wrist and a silver bracelet on her right wrist.

Police are hoping to identify this woman as quickly as possible. Anyone who thinks they may know who her identity is asked to call 9-1-1.
The VPD Major Crime Section is investigating. It’s early in the investigation, but it appears the man is not known to the victims.

Here’s more:

Police request help identifying woman victim of assault

Three women in hospital after misogynist assault

NWAC recognizes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

Native Women’s Association of Canada

Ottawa, ON (December 6, 2012) – NWAC recognizes the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, and is honoured to participate in activities that mark the 23rd anniversary of the murders of fourteen young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal.

“We still mourn the young women who were lost to this senseless violence, and I am very concerned for our safety and security regardless of where we live,” said Michèle Audette, President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada. “Our leaders need to put in place concerted measures to protect our women and young girls. The provinces and territories must support the call for a national public inquiry and work towards a national framework of action as soon as possible. And Canada has to change their attitude toward our stolen sisters!”

NWAC has documented over 600 occurrences of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada. Sadly, we continue to add names to our record of those lost to violence. NWAC’s Evidence to Action initiative works with Aboriginal families and communities who have been affected by violence, to raise awareness of the crisis and to develop tools that will assist those who have lost a loved one to violence.

The intergenerational impacts of colonization and residential schools combine with systemic barriers linked to gender and Aboriginal status to increase Aboriginal women’s vulnerability to experiencing violence. Aboriginal women are 3.5 times more likely to experience violence, and eight times more likely to be the victim of spousal homicide than non-Aboriginal women. Aboriginal women continue to be the most at-risk group in Canada for issues related to violence.

– 30-

For additional information please contact:
Claudette Dumont-Smith
NWAC Executive Director
Toll free 1-800-461-4043
Tel.: 613-722-3033 x. 223
Email: cdumontsmith@nwac.ca
www.nwac.ca

"Criminalization of women who self defend"
with Rosa Elena Arteaga, BWSS

We endorsed PIVOT Legal Society report ‘Imagining Courts that Work for Women Survivors of Violence”. At the press conference, Rosa Elena Arteaga speaking to criminalization of women who self defend and the need for involvement of Women’s organizations who do front-line work in provincial justice reform in British Columbia.

Please visit this link for the press release and the report.

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Vancouver– The Province of British Columbia is falling behind other jurisdictions when it comes to criminal justice system innovation in the area of violence against women according to a new report released today.

The report, Imagining Courts that Work for Women Survivors of Violence, which comes in the midst of the BC Justice Reform Initiative and less than two months after the new Provincial Office of Domestic Violence released its preliminary action plan, makes the case that British Columbia’s justice system is at a critical juncture on the path to developing an effective system response to violence against women.

“Despite repeated commitments to addressing violence against women, government has not done enough to engage the anti-violence sector or the community organizations that support women navigating the justice system everyday,” says the report’s lead author, Darcie Bennett of Pivot Legal Society. “That is why we are calling on government to make the most of the Justice Reform Initiative by developing partnerships with women’s organizations that have a wealth of expertise to contribute to project of ‘modernizing’ BC’s Justice System.”

Atira Women’s Resource Society, Battered Women’s Support Services, Women Against Violence Against Women and the YWCA of Metro Vancouver have come together to endorse the recommendations in the report, including the call for engagement with the anti-violence sector.

“There has to be ongoing collaboration with anti-violence organizations to enhance women’s safety and to build greater confidence that the Criminal Justice System will respond effectively to violence against women” Says Rosa Elena Arteaga, of Battered Women’s Support Services.

The report’s central focus is on the criminal justice system, but through interviews with women and surveys with service providers from across the province, the report also examines the important intersection between police response and women’s experiences with the criminal justice system, the role of family law when it comes to addressing violence in relationships and the justice system response to a spectrum of gendered violence:

“Opening domestic violence courts as the only specialized courts to deal with gender-based violence would continue to fail women who want justice in sexual assault cases” says Dalya Israel of WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre “As we know, Sexualized violence takes place both inside and outside of relationships. ”

While the report points out many ways that the justice system is continuing to fail women, the focus is on drawing on expertise in our own communities and from around North America in order to building a better future.

“BC has a real opportunity to create domestic violence courts that both meet the needs of women and children leaving abuse and ensure that offenders are accountable,” says Andrea Vollans, Legal Educator at the YWCA Metro Vancouver. “This report shows that frontline service providers are uniquely situated to help ensure that we use that opportunity to its fullest.”

The report will be launched today at 9:30 am today at a press conference at the Pivot Legal Society office (121 Heatley Avenue). Representatives from a number of women’s organizations will share stories about women’s experiences with the criminal justice system and discuss recommendations for change.

View the entire report, , Imagining Courts that Work for Women Survivors of Violence, here.

Advanced Copies have been sent to the Ministry of Justice, the Representative for Children and Youth in British Columbia, the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence and relevant members of the official opposition.

For more information contact:

Darcie Bennett

Pivot Legal Society

(604) 753-8182

Rosa Elena Arteaga

Battered Women’s Support Services

(778) 996-5993

Dalya Israel

Women Against Violence Against Women

(604) 255-6228 ext. 224

Chantelle Krish

YWCA Metro Vancouver

(778) 938-9544