Active Indigenous women’s leadership

Recommendation 2: All levels of Canadian government, national aboriginal organizations, and nonprofit agencies must ensure the active leadership of Indigenous women in the design, implementation, and review of programs and policies that are directed to increase the safety of Indigenous women. Strengthen and support solutions that restore the role of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people as Title-holders of their lands, traditional knowledge keepers, sacred life-givers, and matriarchs within extended kinship networks.

Eliminating structural violence against Indigenous women and girls

Recommendation 3: Increased state enforcement alone cannot eliminate violence against Indigenous women and girls because structural violence is connected to individual acts of male violence. A comprehensive national-level integrated action plan to eliminate violence against Indigenous women and girls must address all the socio-economic factors impacting Indigenous women’s, girls’, trans and two-spirit’s safety including equitable access and self-determination over land, culture, language, housing, child care, income security, employment, education, and physical, mental, sexual and spiritual health.

Recommendation 26: Provide an annual transport allowance for Indigenous women in the DTES to be able to travel to their home community.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

Recommendation 37: All Canadian and Aboriginal governments must ensure that Indigenous women are engaged fully and have equitable access to decision-making on issues of governance, land, culture, language, housing, child care, income security, employment, education, health, and other areas impacting Indigenous women.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

On reserve

Recommendation 41: Implementation of overarching substantive federal legislation to protect the rights of women and children living on reserve in the interim until First Nations communities can develop their own laws to replace matrimonial real property laws. This legislation should include opt-out clauses.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

On reserve

Recommendation 42: Implementation of and full funding for federal Indigenous Child Welfare legislation that is attentive to specific First Nations, Metis, and Inuit needs. Ensure that Indigenous nations resume sole jurisdiction—and not simply service delivery—over child welfare for child-members of the nation who are on reserve and off reserve.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

On reserve

Recommendation 44: All levels of government should fully implement Jordan’s Principle.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

On reserve

Recommendation 47: Close the gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities and focus on indicators such as infant mortality, maternal health, suicide, mental health, addictions, life expectancy, birth rates, infant and child health issues, chronic diseases, illness and injury incidence, and the availability of appropriate health services.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

On reserve

Recommendation 48: Provide an annual transport allowance for Indigenous women in the DTES to be able to travel to their home community.

Recommendations to end Indigenous women’s displacement from land

Band councils

Recommendation 49: Women’s shelters on reserve should have the option to incorporate as nonprofit organizations to receive funding directly from INAC, rather than through Band councils, in order to maintain the privacy of those accessing the shelter.