Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada
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First Nations, Metis, and Inuit women in Canada are murdered at a much higher rate than their non-indigenous counterparts. According to Canadian government statistics, 16% of all women murdered in Canada between 1980 and 2012, despite making up only 4% of the country’s total population of women. According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Native women are three times more likely to be murdered by a stranger than other Canadian women. The country’s lack of comprehensive documentation of the Native status of missing persons in police databases renders it difficult to establish a pattern in homicides and disappearances where the victims are indigenous. Additionally, disproportionately low attention is given to cases of missing and murdered and aboriginal women by the media and law enforcement. In response to sustained First Nations protests throughout the country, newly-elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a nationwide inquiry into the epidemic in December 2015.