WINNIPEG -- A rally at The Forks on Saturday is calling for change to help protect Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit and gender diverse people.
The event organized by the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakana (MKO) is part of a national day of action to highlight the ongoing issue of gender-based violence towards Indigenous people.
"We have the right to live and we have the right to feel safe," said Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, manager of the MKO's MMIWG liaison unit. "We need a lot more action and a lot more commitment to end this genocide."
Organizers are calling on all levels of government to take action and implement calls to action and justice outlined two years ago in the national inquiry's final report.
"Our governments have clearly demonstrated how responsive they can be during a pandemic. We need the same level of response to end violence towards Indigenous women and girls, two-spirited and gender diverse people," said Anderson-Pyrz.
Organizers said one path forward is to give Indigenous groups the resources to create their own solutions to the problem.
"The stats continue to reveal that violence against women, homicides against Indigenous women is still a reality, so we must continue to support our first nation women to ensure justice is served," said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee.
"We must work together to end violence against women. We must continue to fight so missing and murdered Indigenous women have justice," Settee went on to say.
