LEAF marks the release this week of Forsaken: The Report of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry. Although the Inquiry was widely criticized by local community and rights groups, including our sister organization West Coast LEAF, LEAF hopes that the release of the Commission’s report will draw the nation’s attention back to the plight all victims of violence who have been forsaken by the Canadian justice system, and particularly to the victims of a serial killer whose atrocities were ignored by too many for too long.
LEAF recognizes the tireless work of the many individuals and organizations that continue to advocate for justice for the missing and murdered women- particularly all those whose voices were excluded from the Commission process, including our sister organization, West Coast LEAF, whose statement in response the Commission’s Report can be found by clicking here.
Together with our partners, LEAF will study the recommendations made in the Report, and will continue to work to ensure that the recommendations, where appropriate, are adopted by the relevant bodies.
LEAF endorses the call made by the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)for a national inquiry into missing and murdered women throughout Canada, and echoes the concern that the terms of reference of such an inquiry must be established in consultation with Aboriginal and other marginalized women and must address the systemic issues that cause and contribute to the epidemic of missing and murdered women in this country.
As a nation, we have a long way to go to atone for the many ways in which our social and justice institutions failed these women, and the many others who have been victims of violence before and since, in particular the more than 600 Aborignal women who are still missing. LEAF honours the memories of the murdered women by rededicating ourselves to the job of building a society based on equality, where such a horror will never be repeated and these women will not be forgotten.
WE REMEMBER:
Marlene Abigosis ~ Sereena Abotsway ~ Sharon Abraham ~ Elaine Allenbach ~ Angela Arsenault ~ Sherry Baker ~ Cindy Beck ~ Yvonne Boen ~ Andrea Borhaven ~ Heather Bottomley ~ Heather Chinnock ~ Nancy Clark ~ Wendy Crawford ~ Marcella Creison ~ Dawn Crey ~ Sarah de Vries ~ “Jane Doe” ~ Sheryl Donahue ~ Tiffany Drew ~ Elaine Dumba ~ Sheila Egan ~ Cara Ellis ~ Gloria Fedyshyn ~ Cynthia Feliks ~ Marnie Frey ~ Jennifer Furminger ~ Catherine Gonzalez ~ Rebecca Guno ~ Michelle Gurney ~ Inga Hall ~ Helen Hallmark ~Ruby Hardy ~ Janet Henry ~ Tanya Holyk ~ Sherry Irving ~ Angela Jardine ~ Andrea Joesbury ~ Patricia Johnson ~ Debra Jones ~ Catherine Knight ~ Kerry Koski ~ Maria Laliberte ~ Stephanie Lane ~ Kellie Little ~ Laura Mah ~ Jacquelene McDonell ~ Diana Melnick ~ Leigh Miner ~ Jacqueline Murdock ~ Lillian O’Dare ~ Georgina Papin ~ Tania Petersen ~ Sherry Rail ~ Dianne Rock ~ Elsie Sebastian (Jones) ~ Ingrid Soet ~ Dorothy Spence ~ Teresa Triff ~ Sharon Ward ~ Kathleen Wattley ~ Olivia William ~ Angela Williams ~ Taressa Ann Williams ~ Mona Wilson ~ Brenda Wolfe ~ Frances Young ~ Julie Young
