GNWT Annual Report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls-2021

Following the release of the Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls on June 3, 2019, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) tabled an initial response called “Doing Our Part” in the Legislative Assembly.

In its initial response the GNWT committed to review and analyze the 231 Calls for Justice and assess its current programs and services. The intention of this status report is to provide an update on the existing GNWT programs and services identified in “Doing our Part”, that responds to the Calls for Justice.

The Gender Equity Division (formerly known as the Women’ Advisory Unit) within the Department of Executive and Indigenous Affairs will be working with all departments to develop the GNWT Action Plan that responds to the Calls for Justice and inform future government action, including efforts to end violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.

Preliminary engagement sessions will take place with community contacts, the Native Women’s Association of the NWT, and the NWT Status of Women’s Council. This preliminary engagement will provide input and guidance to aid the development of the GNWT Action Plan, and to support the four primary recommendations put forward by the Native Women’s Association in their closing submission:

“We must acknowledge that violence against Indigenous women and girls including members of the 2SLGBTQ communities is a crisis that demands an urgent and active response”.

“We must re-establish, build and foster trust between all levels of government, service providers, communities and every one of their citizens”.

“We must ensure that the purpose and objective of all government services is to be community and person centered”.

“We must establish a meaningful entity with accountability to monitor and evaluate the acknowledgement by governments, efforts towards rebuilding trust and establishment of and outcomes from community and person-centered government services”.

The GNWT will first release a draft GNWT Action Plan to address the Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The draft Action Plan will allow for a more comprehensive engagement process before the Action Plan is finalized. The GNWT Draft Action Plan is scheduled to be completed by the Fall of 2021. The Draft Action Plan will address the GNWTs commitment to engaging Indigenous governments and people with lived experience in the development and delivery of programs and services that evolve from the National Inquiry.