Undertake an inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

What success looks like

Concrete solutions to address systemic causes of violence, resulting in increased safety of Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

Government's narrative on progress

In December 2015, the Government of Canada, with the governments of all provinces and territories, launched an independent National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. The Commissioners were asked to examine and report on the systemic and historical social, economic, institutional and cultural factors—as well as practices, policies and institutions—that contribute to the violence that Indigenous women and girls face. The Commission was mandated to complete its work by December 31, 2018. The Commission released its interim report on November 1, 2017. In response to the interim report, the Government of Canada is taking action to address the interim recommendations by investing an additional $21.3M over three years beginning 2018-2019 to expand access to mental health, emotional and cultural supports for families and survivors, establishing a commemoration fund, funding organizations with expertise in law enforcement and policing to lead a review of police policies and practices concerning their relations with the Indigenous peoples, as well as supporting a new Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) National Investigative Standards and Practices Unit with additional funding. On March 6, 2018, the Commission submitted a request to the Government of Canada seeking an extension until December 31, 2020 as many legitimate concerns from families and stakeholders had been raised about the Inquiry's progress. The Government of Canada granted the Inquiry an extension until April 30, 2019 to enable the inquiry to hear from more families and survivors, further examine institutional practices and policies, and undertake the research necessary to inform their recommendations on the systemic causes of all forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Subsequently, the deadline for receipt of the report was extended to May 30, 2019. The formal release of the Report by the Commission is anticipated at the Closing Ceremonies scheduled for June 3, 2019. As part of the National Inquiry’s Truth Gathering Process, Justice Canada submitted on behalf of relevant federal departments and agencies an overview of what each institution is currently doing to address the underlying causes of violence and increase safety for Indigenous women, girls, and LGBTQ2S and gender non-binary individuals. An additional $5.4 million was also made available through Justice Canada to extend the Family Information Liaison Units and to support community-based services for families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls for 2019-2020. The government also established a commemoration fund and provided $10 million to honour the lives and legacies of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ2S and gender non-binary individuals, and is engaging with Indigenous organizations to put forward a range of actions to help address violence against Indigenous women and girls. In December 2018, the Government of Canada provided $38 million in additional funding to support the Inquiry during its extension to assist with operational needs and provide short term aftercare to families and survivors who testify. This brought the total funding for the Inquiry to $92 million.

Note: this is the government's own description, not an independent assessment.