Honouring Red Dress Day: a call for us to take action
Each year on May 5th communities across Canada recognize National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S), also known as Red Dress Day. This day honours the thousands of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people who have been subject to disproportionate levels of violence in Canada and raises awareness about this ongoing crisis.
Red Dress Day was inspired by Métis artist Jaime Black, who created the REDress Project in 2010. Black hung hundreds of red dresses in public places to represent missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and to raise awareness about this issue. The dresses, collected through community donation, have since been installed in many Canadian galleries, museums, and universities, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (2019). An Extension of the REDress Project titled Reclaiming Power and Place is on Display at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights from May 3, 2025, until April 5, 2030.
Violence against Indigenous peoples is deeply rooted in the traumatic history of colonialization and its profound, lasting impact on Indigenous families, communities, and Canadian society as a whole.
Indigenous women and girls in Canada face disproportionate rates of violence, including physical and sexual assault, human trafficking, and homicide. Two-spirit and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals often experience additional layers of vulnerability and systemic neglect.
Almost six in ten (56%) Indigenous women have experienced physical assault while almost half (46%) of Indigenous women have experienced sexual assault. In comparison, about a third of non-Indigenous women have experienced physical assault (34%) or sexual assault (33%) in their lifetime (Statistics Canada).
Indigenous women are overrepresented as victims of intimate partner violence and homicides in Canada. 1 in 6 Indigenous women have experienced at least one form of intimate partner violence (Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics). When intersectionality is taken into account, this statistic increases dramatically. 86% of 2SLGBTQ+ Indigenous women have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime (Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics).
Although Indigenous women represent only about 5% of the female population in Canada, they accounted for approximately 26% of all women killed by an intimate partner in 2022. The homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls is more than six times higher than that of non-Indigenous women (Statistics Canada).
These aren’t just numbers. These statistics reflect real lives, families, and communities affected by ongoing violence and systemic injustice. Understanding the scope and depth of this crisis is essential – but awareness alone is not enough. It is only through committed, informed action that we can begin to address these injustices and work toward meaningful change.
Taking action: honouring lives through change
Addressing the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people (MMIWG2S) requires ongoing commitment from individuals, communities, governments, and institutions across Canada.
The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls provides a roadmap for this work. Released in 2019, the report includes 231 Calls for Justice directed at all levels of government, the justice system, healthcare providers, educators, the media, and all Canadians.
Here are a few ways you can take meaningful action:
Educate yourself: A good place to start learning more is by reading the Final Report of the National Inquiry into MMIWG2S. Understanding the root causes of this crisis—colonialism, systemic racism, and gender-based violence—is essential.
Uphold Indigenous voices: Follow, amplify, and engage with Indigenous activists, scholars, and community leaders. Respect their lived experiences and knowledge.
Advocate for policy change: Call on elected officials to implement the Calls for Justice and fund long-term, community-driven solutions. Demand accountability and transparency from public institutions.
Participate in community events: Attend Red Dress Day events, vigils, and educational workshops. Showing up matters—it’s a public act of solidarity and remembrance.
Challenge racism and sexism in your own circles: Whether it’s in the workplace, at school, or online, speak up against stereotypes and harmful narratives that dehumanize Indigenous people.
Taking action doesn’t look the same for everyone, but what’s most important is that we all do something. Whether it’s learning, donating, advocating, or showing up for community events, we cannot stand idle as this crisis continues.
Let us honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people – not only in memory, but in how we choose to move forward and create change.
If You Need Support
If you or someone you know is affected by gender-based violence, human trafficking, or exploitation, support is available.
Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking
Call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-833-900-1010 or visit www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca for 24/7 confidential support, available in over 200 languages.
ACT Alberta
ACT Alberta provides support and resources for individuals impacted by human trafficking in Alberta. Learn more at www.actalberta.org or contact us directly for assistance.
Native Counselling Services of Alberta
Providing programs and services designed and delivered for Indigenous people, by Indigenous people in Alberta for over 50 years. Visit www.ncsa.ca/ to learn more.
Hope for Wellness Helpline
The Hope for Wellness Helpline offers 24/7 mental health counselling and crisis intervention to all Indigenous peoples across Canada. Services are available by phone at 1-855-242-3310 or via online chat at www.hopeforwellness.ca.