Indigenous Women

The article can be found here: http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/13/canada-abusive-policing-neglect-along-highway-tears

In northern British Columbia, indigenous women and girls are, according to this article, being harassed and abused by members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s police force. When girls or women encounter police officers or call on them for help, they are instead being physically hurt, raped, or even killed. As the article mentions, this is an extreme violation of Human Rights, as the women are not being given the protection from the police that they have the right to. The Human Rights Watch organization has looked into the situation and has contacted Canada’s government in hopes of helping these indigenous women and girls.

Something should be done about this situation. It appears that countless cases have been reported since the 1960s. These indigenous women should not have to fear for their lives, especially when the violators are authoritative figures that they should be able to count on. Instead of calling on the police for help, the women have to avoid them. Police officers are hired to help their citizens, not hurt them. It seems that the violators have forgotten their mission, and it is incredibly sad to hear the abuse that they are dealing to the women.

Equally as alarming is the fact that Canada’s government is not taking action to stop the abusive policing. For years now, the Human Rights Watch organization has been contacting the Canadian government, but yet the violence still continues. The number of women and girls that are being hurt may not be a very large amount compared to those of other human rights violations, but the numbers should not be a limit. Regardless if twenty or twenty-thousand women are being abused, the act is both illegal and immoral. Action should be taken, as these women need to be helped.  

By: Erika Staskevicius