First, let me say thank you to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women for inviting us to present on this panel as witnesses on the issue of violence against aboriginal women.
As well, I'd like to commend committee members for your particular interest in understanding community perspectives regarding the continuing and troubling fact that aboriginal women and girls continue to be overrepresented as victims in acts of violence. It is widely acknowledged that more violent crimes happen to aboriginal women than to other women in Canada and that those crimes are less likely to be solved. It is very disturbing to us that young aboriginal women are at least five times more likely than other women in Canada to die as a result of violence.
We are here representing the Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women Action Group. This is a grassroots initiative of aboriginal and non-aboriginal citizens who are creating and implementing tangible actions with the goal of preventing violence against aboriginal women and girls here in Winnipeg and also at the national level. As this panel was looking at current research and service provision with respect to violence against aboriginal women, we will refer to the findings from our community-based research conducted in Winnipeg in May 2010.
In order to understand the gaps, the needs of aboriginal women and girls living in violent situations, and the ways that could prevent further violence, the Stop Violence Against Aboriginal Women Action Group held a community organization gathering and focus group that brought together a diversity of perspectives from aboriginal and non-aboriginal men and women from across Winnipeg. Participants represented 44 social service delivery, research, education, justice, and policing organizations, as well as community groups that work in human rights and aboriginal women's and victims' advocacy.
A survey preceded the focus group, to which 28 organizations provided input. We would like to draw your attention to two of these questions. Organizations were asked to state whether the supply of programs and services was meeting the needs of aboriginal women and girls living in violence. Half of them stated that needs were somewhat being met by the supply. The results show that over a third were not or were only somewhat meeting the demand of aboriginal women and girls in situations of violence.
One of the participants stated that current programs are overused and women are regularly requesting more support, particularly around domestic violence. Another noted that the current location and types of services do not always fit with the needs of the community--for example, faith homes for sexually exploited youth. One reply made reference to the deep and insidious roots of violence, stating that efforts are being made, but the problems experienced by aboriginal women are overwhelming. These include unsafe housing, poverty, addictions, chronic ill health, involvement with child protection, violent neighbourhoods, limited employment opportunities, and the long-term effects of complex post-traumatic stress disorder on mental health, such as the legacy of colonialism and residential schools.
The second question asked the organizations to rate the importance of 19 different services and programs for aboriginal women and girls experiencing violence. The top five priorities included greater access to safe and affordable housing; the development of specialized training for police and social service workers; poverty reduction policies and initiatives; increased addiction treatment services; and greater advocacy for aboriginal women and girls.
There was general consensus among the participating organizations that anti-violence work specifically addressing the plight of aboriginal women and girls must begin, continue, or be strengthened on many other fronts as well, including domestic violence prevention for boys and men; services for male violent offenders; transition services for ex-gang members, those who have reached age 18 and are leaving the ward of CFS, and those coming to cities from reserves and rural communities; support services for families of missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls; anti-racism training and awareness for the general public as well as the news media; women's resource information networks; resources for sexually exploited people; and services for those who are involved in the justice system. Organizations agreed that services need to be culturally rooted, around the clock, and receiving multi-year core funding.
We learned from the participants that there are current practices in the community that can be built upon to prevent further violence against aboriginal women and girls. These include aboriginal space, culture, and spirituality that are reclaimed through culturally appropriate services, elders, traditional ceremonies, awareness of colonial history, and an increase in aboriginal teachers and aboriginal history in school; respectful engagement and consultation by government with community groups through increased networks between government institutions and grassroots groups; grassroots community organizing and networking; leaders who lead by example; counselling for children who have experienced or witnessed violence; initiatives that build women's and girls' capacity to be strong, independent, and empowered instead of feeling victimized; positive language use by police; and projects that reach out to youth.
The focus group members were interested in the creation of a network of the organizations that were present that day as well as others for the purpose of informing each other of relevant initiatives, and the creation of strategic alignments toward the prevention of violence against aboriginal women and girls. A network model is currently being developed in consultation with aboriginal women.