A need to focus on girls’ voices, concerns and realities

Violence is a reality for many girls in Canada. There is a need to focus on girls’ voices, concerns, and realities. Physical abuse against children is rarely publicized since they do not have a VOICE.

For example, when an Inuit girl child showed me the marks of physical abuse, I was told not to vent it out it, otherwise, her family would know we were after them and might beat her worse. For men, it is often their inability to provide their families with basic needs and their demands for certain foods, clothes, etc. For women, it is the burden of responsibilities at home and the lack of space and support.

Looking to the future, a priority on everyone's doorstep

How does the future look to the women of Nunavik?

How do they think they will organize community efforts to build resilient families and individuals?

How do they think they will teach non-violence and components of healthy relationships while developing codes of conduct that promote respect and strengthen non-violence?

How will they deal with poverty, food shortage, violence, suicide and generalized gender inequalities serving as prerequisites for trafficking in women and how will they protect their girls?

How will find the resources to ensure the children are safe?

Girls become women

More than 6 000 women and children per day escape violence in Canada. Within these, Indigenous and Inuit women and girls between ages 15 and 34 are three times more likely to be victims of violence than other women in Canada.

No Child Should Take the Long Way Home is a grassroot initiative that wants to reverse the tendency of more Indigenous children from distant communities sent into foster care across the country.