The Rimbey Group of Amnesty International will remember missing and murdered aboriginal women and girls at a special candlelight service Oct. 4.
The service is to be held at the Beatty House at 7:30 p.m.
Florence Stemo, from the Rimbey Group of Amnesty International, said government statistics show young indigenous women in Canada are five times more likely than other Canadian women to die from violence.
“In fact, there are very few indigenous families in our country that have not lost a mother, a sister, a daughter, an aunt or a cousin to violence.”
She said research shows poverty and social marginalization have put these people at risk and that racism has often denied these women adequate protection under the law.
“The candlelight vigil is part of a campaign supported by many individuals and organizations and by some of our country’s leaders that begs to have addressed the centuries-old discrimination and impoverishment that put so many indigenous women in harm’s way.”
The candlelight vigils began in 2005 by the Native Women’s Association of Canada and are supported by a number of organizations including Amnesty International. Their goal is to draw attention to the plight of these sisters in spirit who have been stolen from their families.