The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Pam Parsons, Minister Responsible for the Office of Women and Gender Equality:

Speaker, I rise today to recognize tomorrow, May 5 as the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, also known as Red Dress Day.

This is a day to honour the memory of all missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people across Canada, including in Newfoundland and Labrador.

It is also a day to raise awareness. Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people face higher rates of violence than their non-Indigenous, cisgender and heterosexual counterparts.

Speaker, preventing this violence requires an approach that is culturally appropriate and informed by Indigenous knowledge keepers.

At the most recent annual Provincial Indigenous Women’s Gathering our Premier, the Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation and I announced our government’s commitment to establish a Provincial Indigenous Women’s Reconciliation Council.

This council will coordinate and lead meaningful collaborative action in the areas of Indigenous culture, health and wellness, justice, and human security as it relates to violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Through Budget 2023 our government will continue to provide close to $400,000 to support Indigenous-led violence prevention initiatives. This includes the Indigenous Violence Prevention Grants Program, the annual Provincial Indigenous Women’s Gathering, and funding support to the Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network.

Speaker, our government is actively partnering with Indigenous Governments and Organizations, and will continue to support actions that aim to prevent violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.