By Gabriel Mayost and Francella Fiallos
Sometimes, numbers can show how endemic chronic problems can be. Here is a collection of data visualizations regarding the issues many aboriginal women face.
There are approximately 1.4 million people in Canada who identify as First Nations (Status Indians), Métis, and Inuit. Around 718,500 of the First Nations population are women, roughly representing 4.3 per cent of the total female population. The largest percentage of people identifying as First Nations live in Nunavut, at 86.3 per cent. The lowest is in Prince Edward Island, at 1.6 per cent.
The death of Tina Fontaine in August 2014 stressed the need for action from government leaders issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women. According to the RCMP, 1,181 aboriginal women have been murdered or have disappeared between 1980 and 2012. The following chart shows a breakdown of murder and disappearance cases of aboriginal women per province in 2009 and 2010.
Below is a summary of cases involving missing and murdered aboriginal women. It includes the age at the time of a reported incident and the relationship between the aboriginal victim and the offender. It’s important to note that most incidents are committed by people who know the victim, such as a spouse or family member. The victims also overwhelmingly tend to be younger than 44 years of age.
While the homicide rate per capita among aboriginal women in Canada has decreased, the rates for aboriginal women are still four times that of non-aboriginal women. Meanwhile, the homicide rate among non-aboriginal women has remained relatively steady. The staggering disproportion of homicide rates for aboriginal women remains clear.
However, the high rates of murders and disappearances aren’t the only issues affecting aboriginal communities. Although there is no data representing aboriginal women among adults prisoners, aboriginal people are disproportionately represented in the incarcerated adult population.
More specific data exists for youth correctional services. Among female admissions to youth correctional programs, aboriginal people are disproportionately represented across the board.
Similarly, aboriginal people in Canada also have disproportionately high suicide rates. The Inuit population has 135 suicides per 100,000, according the Government of Canada. Below is a comparison between the suicide rates for Inuit, First Nations and non-aboriginal people and a comparison of suicide rates of aboriginal men and women with other Canadians.
