On October 4, the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) will host Sisters In Spirit Vigils on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and in many communities across the country. The purpose of these vigils is to honour the lives of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls, to support the grieving families and provide opportunities for healing, and to organize for social change to end this intolerable situation.
- Find a vigil location near you
In 2009, an impressive 72 vigils were held nationwide from coast-to-coast-to-coast, with CUPE members participating in many of these events.
CUPE has a long and proud history of fighting against racism and working to end violence against women. It is a travesty that Aboriginal women are more than three times as likely as other Canadian women to experience violence and those between ages 25 and 44 are five times more likely to die a violent death than non-Aboriginal women in that age group.
We must speak out and join our voices with those of other Canadians to call for immediate action to end violence against Indigenous women and girls.
Please participate in the Sisters In Spirit vigils in your community and invite others to join you. Together we can make a difference.
- Learn more about Sisters In Spirit Vigils and view photos of previous vigils.