On May 5th, 2025, communities across Canada joined together in acknowledgment of the 15th annual Red Dress Day, a day of remembrance, grief, and action for the many Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples lost to violence. From the Our Women Are Sacred Walk in Victoria to the Red Dress Day Community and School Drum Walk in Langford, the community stood together in powerful tribute.
(Photo taken on Ch’átaýich (Hornby Island) – the unceded territory of the K’ómoks First Nation.)
Now that Red Dress Day has passed, the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council encourages the community – including settler allies and Indigenous community members alike – to continue taking steps to support Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples each and every day.
Red Dress Day – more formally known as the National Day of Awareness for Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, & Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S) – started in 2010 when Métis artist Jamie Black installed hundreds of red dresses across Winnipeg to raise awareness of the Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or gone missing.
Black’s installation provided visibility to an issue that was overlooked for decades. According to the report issued by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in 2019, “Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than any other women in Canada.” And, according to Victoria News, “Indigenous women account for 16 per cent of female homicide victims and 11 per cent of missing women,” despite making up only 4% of the population.
To make matters worse, Canadian authorities tend not to respond with adequate seriousness to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous women, girls, or 2SLGBTQQIA peoples. According to a Statistics Canada report, police identify an accused person less frequently in homicide cases involving Indigenous women than in cases involving non-Indigenous women, and tend to provide more lenient sentences in cases involving Indigenous victims than in cases involving non-Indigenous victims.
This ongoing violence and lack of adequate response leave Indigenous communities holding grief, trauma, and uncertainty that persist beyond the boundaries of Red Dress Day and affect every part of life, from physical and mental health to education and work.
The key to healing this trauma and creating a future where Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples experience true safety – and are supported not only to survive, but to thrive – is joint action among Indigenous communities and settler allies, not only on Red Dress Day, but year-round. Amnesty International’s Indigenous Rights Advisor, Rodney Dillon, spoke to the power of settler allyship in Amnesty’s guide to allyship, sharing:
I think that non-Indigenous peoples’ support and influence can be really really important to make change. These are the people we need on our side. We need people who are willing to understand the past so these families have a safer future. Being an ally makes families who understand it richer. The people who put the wall up, I can understand why it’s there, but the people who pull it down – they’re the ones we need.
Below are seven ways settler allies can “pull the wall down” to make a meaningful impact for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples today and every day:
- Learn more about the context of Red Dress Day by reading the report issued by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
- Help free teenage girls from violence, colonialism, and inequality by donating to Justice for Girls.
- Help create safe spaces for women to heal by donating funds or furniture to XPey’ Selhini’ Lelum /Cedar Women’s House, a transition home for women and children experiencing violence.
- Support Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA peoples’ trauma-healing journey by donating funds, clothing, or suitcases to the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society Substance Use and Trauma Treatment Centre.
- Support Indigenous women and children impacted by violence by donating to the Cowichan Women Against Violence (CWAV) Society, an organization providing assistance through a feminist lens.
- Make time to remember and acknowledge Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls throughout the year by visiting the new permanent Red Dress Day art installation at the District of Sooke Municipal Hall.
- Learn ways to participate in action-based reconciliation by exploring WLC’s Resources for Settlers Page. By participating in reconciliation, settlers have the opportunity to help prevent gender-based violence and other harms.
WLC is grateful to all who attended the Red Dress Day events on May 5th and to everyone committed to practicing allyship year-round. With open hearts and minds, and through continued collective action – even in small steps each day – a beautiful, safe future for Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people is possible. Together, Indigenous communities and settler allies can make this possibility a reality.
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