Statement from the Minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate Jeanie McLean on the National Roundtable on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People

Minister responsible for the Women and Gender Equity Directorate Jeanie McLean has issued the following statement:

“The Government of Yukon was honoured to participate in the January 10 National Roundtable on MMIWG2S+. We welcome the appointment of Jennifer Moore Rattray as the federal  ministerial special representative to provide advice and recommendations on the establishment of a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson. We also welcome the announcement that a national Indigenous organization, Innovation 7, will develop recommendations for an oversight mechanism to support accountability on the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice.

“With the signing of the National Action Plan in 2021, federal, provincial and territorial governments and Indigenous governments committed to working with Indigenous organizations, communities and people to end the systemic violence Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people have disproportionately endured for far too long. 

“A key principle of this work remains to ensure families and survivors are involved in the plan’s implementation and management. This roundtable honoured this approach, bringing together Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, family members and survivors with government representatives to discuss how to improve collaboration and highlight areas of future focus.

“We look forward to continuing the discussion and collaboration at the national level; the possibility of future roundtables at the regional level; and continuing the work we have begun with our partners in the Yukon on the territory’s own MMIWG2S+ Strategy.”