Media Advisory: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Holds Hearing in Follow-up to Their Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in BC

Press Release

April 7, 2016

WHAT:             Public Hearing
WHEN:             Thursday April 7^th, 2016
3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST (12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. PST)
WHERE:           Washington, D.C,

Available Livestream: http://original.livestream.com/oasenglish2 (Rubén Dario Room)

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) will hold a public hearing during its 157^th session in Washington, DC, to follow-up to the report the IACHR issued on January 12, 2015 on murdered and missing Indigenous women in British Columbia, Canada. The hearing will last for one hour and be available live stream on http://original.livestream.com/oasenglish2. Canadian officials will attend and answer questions from the Commission. Ms. Dubravka Simonovic, current United Nations Rapporteur on Violence against Women, will be participating in the hearing as well. The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) and the Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) will make a joint 15 minute presentation. Both NWAC and FAFIA are members of the Coalition on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, and the Coalition provided input to the IACHR’s report, and is monitoring the public hearing to watch how Canada and British Columbia respond to questions regarding implementation of IACHR recommendations.

Speakers include:

Dawn Harvard, Native Women’s Association of Canada
Shelagh Day, Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action
Sharon McIvor, Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action

For more information contact:

Shelagh Day, FAFIA, 604-872-0750 or Shelagh.day@gmail.com

For a copy of the IACHR Report on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women in British Columbia, Canada, please visit http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/reports/pdfs/Indigenous-Women-BC-Canada-en.pdf

The Coalition on Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls initially came together in response to the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry in British Columbia overseen by Commissioner Wally Oppal. Unfortunately the groups who formed the Coalition were shut out of the inquiry; however, the Coalition continues to meet regularly to pursue justice for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and has grown in number and strength.

Coalition members include:

Amnesty International Canada

Atira Housing

Battered Women’s Support Services

BC Assembly of First Nations

BC Civil Liberties Association

BC Federation of Labour

Butterflies in Spirit

Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action

Carrier Sekani Tribal Council

February 14^th Women’s Memorial March Committee

First Nations Summit