Manitoba Collaborates with Federal Government on Red Dress Alert to Address Missing Indigenous Women and Girls

In Winnipeg, Canada and Manitoba unveil a collaborative initiative to implement an alert system, set to notify the public in cases of missing Indigenous women or girls. This announcement precedes a national day aimed at acknowledging this ongoing crisis.

The highly anticipated Red Dress Alert system aims to reduce fatalities and facilitate safe reunions with family members. According to a recent report by Statistics Canada, the homicide rate among Indigenous women and girls is six times higher than that of non-Indigenous individuals. Moreover, findings from a national inquiry five years ago revealed that Indigenous women and girls are twelve times more likely to experience cases of disappearance or murder.

“This is a historic moment, and a major step toward ending the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse peoples,” said NDP MP Leah Gazan, who has led federal advocacy on the alert.

“And while we celebrate this historic moment, it is critical to remember that we are not done until a Red Dress Alert is no longer needed.”

The Manitoba pilot initiative will be crafted in collaboration with and spearheaded by Indigenous Peoples, serving as a blueprint to shape a forthcoming national alert system. Funding for this endeavor will be drawn from allocations in both federal and provincial budgets for this year.

Nahanni Fontaine, Manitoba’s minister for women and gender equity, shared insights gleaned from community feedback, highlighting the potential of the alert system to mitigate risks faced by Indigenous women and girls.

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree emphasized Winnipeg, and Manitoba as a whole, as the focal point of this crisis. Launching the Red Dress Alert system there is envisioned to pioneer solutions applicable nationwide.

The advocacy led by Gazan prompted a House of Commons committee to examine the feasibility of establishing a national alert system. Last year, her motion in the House of Commons, declaring the deaths and disappearances of Indigenous women and girls a nationwide emergency, garnered unanimous support from fellow MPs.

The motion additionally urged the federal government to allocate funding for a novel alert system modeled after Amber Alerts.

Similar alert systems are already operational in various North American jurisdictions, such as Washington state’s Missing Indigenous Person system.

In its final report released in 2019, the national inquiry underscored that intentional rights infringements were central to the violence endured by Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals.

The final report also included 231 calls to justice targeting governments, social service providers, industry stakeholders, and Canadians. However, there has been limited progress in addressing these calls to date.