Good morning, everybody. Thank you for giving Les Femmes Michif Otipimisiwak, LFMO, the time to speak to the committee today on this topic of gender-based violence and femicide against women, girls and gender-diverse kin.

I'd like to acknowledge that I'm joining you today from Treaty 6 territory and the motherland of the Métis Nation.

LFMO is the national indigenous women's organization whose mandate is to represent Métis women from across the Métis motherland. We advocate nationally and internationally for equal treatment, health and well-being of all Métis people, with a focus on the rights, needs and priorities of Métis women, youth, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ Métis kin.

Data shows that women and girls experiencing oppression based on race, ethnicity, age, religion, ability, region, gender identity and sexual orientation are disproportionately targeted. Métis women and girls are especially vulnerable. Nearly four in 10 cases involving marginalized Métis women or girls are impacted by mental health struggles, substance abuse, poverty, homelessness, the street economies, histories of violence, intergenerational trauma and/or previous child welfare involvement. Perpetrators exploit inequity and oppressive conditions, targeting marginalized women and girls.

We have some recommendations to end femicide, intimate partner violence and all forms of gender-based violence.

The utilization of language that describes the reality of what is occurring is an important first step. Using the term “femicide” is a step forward. It demonstrates solidarity with indigenous women in Mexico and Latin America who have long spoken out against gender-based killings amidst systemic corruption and inequity. Canada's adoption of this term will highlight a shift in acknowledging gender-based violence as a systemic issue.

It is also an opportunity for government researchers, advocacy and survivor groups, and feminist anti-violence agencies to collaborate with indigenous women's organizations like LFMO and Pauktuutit, which have shared an interest in tracking violence, understanding the trends and engaging prevention strategies. Partnerships with indigenous women's organizations are essential for tracking violence, understanding the trends and engaging these strategies that are going to help change this.

The term “vulnerabilization” was introduced by an indigenous sister from Mexico during the 2023 trilateral working group on violence against indigenous women. It reflects Métis and other indigenous women's and gender-diverse kin's realities in Canada, emphasizing how structural inequalities create conditions of violence. It also shifts focus from individual or community risk to structural factors and enabled risk. The term recognizes that poverty, racism, homophobia, colonialism and ageism are exploited by perpetrators. It underlines that perpetrators weaponize systemic inequalities to target marginalized groups.

Current laws allow Crown counsel to request judges to detain innocent crime victims for up to 30 days to compel testimony. This is a practice that can retraumatize the victims and contribute to a higher risk of violence, self-harm and suicide. Immediate legislative reform is needed to prevent treating victims as criminals, including practices like incarcerating victims alongside their perpetrators.

A dedicated network of Métis justice system navigators is crucial for guiding Métis individuals through the legal process, connecting them with trauma-informed, culturally safe supports and ensuring access to specialized courts like mental health courts.

Culturally grounded victim services and transitional supports for youth who are aging out of care are also essential to mitigate the impact of system neglect and to improve life trajectories for Métis people involved in many of these systems. System navigators support Métis women, children and 2SLGBTQQIA+ kin by ensuring programs are developed with a culturally based, gendered and intersectional framework that addresses unique vulnerabilities such as intersecting identity factors.

This approach includes providing age-appropriate, culturally sensitive education and resources on topics such as healthy relationships, safe dating and gender-based violence.

LFMO, along with all orders of government, should develop a media campaign to correct the misconceptions about people. This campaign should focus on addressing historical discrimination and systemic factors that increase vulnerabilities for indigenous women and children by promoting awareness through a strength-based narrative that emphasizes identity, resilience and pride.

We advocate for an allocation of funding for public education campaigns that highlight the unique experiences of women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ kin, emphasizing the impacts of racism, sexism and colonization. Focus should be given to community-focused implementation of reconciliation activities aimed at reducing racism and building safer, more vibrant communities, through fostering understanding and respect for various perspectives and intersectional experiences.

One piece that keeps falling on the shoulders of indigenous women is the concept of us fixing our men and boys. It is not our responsibility to heal the perpetrators who've impacted our lives and to fix non-indigenous males who've inflicted several harms on us. We strongly recommend that fixing men becomes a man's issue and not a woman's issue.

In closing, we call for the following awareness and action: use the term “femicide”, acknowledge the systemic nature of femicide and its impact on these marginalized communities, support initiatives that address structural inequalities contributing to gender-based violence and femicide, and commit to fostering collaboration with indigenous and marginalized communities to advance prevention and protection services.

The one last thing that I'd like to say is thank you to all the witnesses who came here as survivors and family members of victims to be able to tell us their story today.