By Canadian Press

Work continues on alert system for missing Indigenous women: minister

Oct 4, 2024 | 1:31 PM

WINNIPEG — The federal government says it’s making progress on a pilot program for an alert system that would inform the public when an Indigenous woman or girl is missing.

The federal and Manitoba governments have been working on a Red Dress Alert system.

It would be similar to Amber Alerts, which are used when a child is abducted, and the aim is to eventually make it countrywide.

Gary Anandasangaree, the federal minister for Crown-Indigenous Relations, says a Manitoba Indigenous group has been selected to lead the pilot, which was first announced in May.

“The violence against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people has to come to an end. Indigenous voices, grassroots service providers and organizers on the front lines of the crisis have called for action,” says Anandasangaree.

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“Canada, Manitoba, and Giganawenimaanaanig (formerly the MMIWG2S+ Implementation Advisory Committee) are working quickly and closely together to advance the Red Dress Alert and bring us one step closer to ensuring that when an Indigenous woman, girl, Two-Spirit, or gender-diverse person goes missing, action is taken so they can be brought home safely.”

Statistics Canada said in a report last year that the homicide rate for Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than the rate for their non-Indigenous counterparts.

The federal budget set aside $1.3 million to develop and implement the alert system.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 4, 2024. / Quote added by rdnewsNOW from Oct. 4 media release

The Canadian Press