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Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2022

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Summary

Canada enjoys a global reputation as a defender of human rights at home and abroad that reflects a solid record on core civil and political rights protections, and a generally progressive approach to economic and social rights. Nonetheless, serious human rights concerns demand remedial action by federal and provincial governments, particularly with regard to the rights of the indigenous peoples of Canada, people impacted abroad by Canada's extractive industries, and ethnic and religious minorities in Quebec. Recent federal government actions undermining the ability of civil society organizations to engage in advocacy impede progress on a range of human rights issues.

Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls

In February 2013, the federal government established an all-party committee in Canada's House of Commons to hold hearings on the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women and to propose solutions to address root causes of violence. The committee made limited progress and was criticized by missing women advocates for lacking clear direction, prioritizing government witnesses over victims’ family members, and failing to consider alternative, culturally sensitive methods of family and community participation.

The Native Women's Association of Canada has documented 582 cases of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in Canada as of March 2010. Many of the killings and disappearances were between the 1960s and the 1990s, but 39 percent occurred after 2000. The number of cases is undoubtedly higher today, but comprehensive data is not available since the government cut funding for the organization's database, and police forces in Canada do not consistently collect race and ethnicity data.

In February, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner Bob Paulson told his officers via email, “Don't worry about it, I’ve got your back,” in response to a 2013 Human Rights Watch report documenting the RCMP's failure in British Columbia (BC) to protect indigenous women and girls from violence, as well as abusive police behavior against indigenous women and girls, including excessive use of force, and physical and sexual assault. Canada has inadequate police complaint mechanisms and oversight procedures, including a lack of a mandate for independent civilian investigations into all reported incidents of serious police misconduct.

In February 2013, the federal government referred Human Rights Watch's report on police mistreatment of indigenous women and girls in BC to a complaints commission for investigation.

Type
Chapter
Information
World Report 2014
Events of 2013
, pp. 636 - 641
Publisher: Bristol University Press
Print publication year: 2014

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  • Canada
  • Edited by Human Rights Watch
  • Book: World Report 2014
  • Online publication: 07 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447318491.091
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  • Canada
  • Edited by Human Rights Watch
  • Book: World Report 2014
  • Online publication: 07 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447318491.091
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Canada
  • Edited by Human Rights Watch
  • Book: World Report 2014
  • Online publication: 07 May 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781447318491.091
Available formats
×