When we hear of a missing woman close to home we may feel inclined to turn away as we fear the circumstances which led to her disappearance. Maybe imagining our loved one's face circulating on social media as a missing woman is inconceivable, and yet for some of us this nightmare is an ongoing reality.
We know that men disproportionately target women for acts of violence and sexualized violence and the truth is this is one of the reasons women disappear – men's violence such as kidnapping, human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and femicide are realities for women.
Facts On Missing Women & Girls In Canada
12% of all missing adults in 2023 were Indigenous and 58% of all missing Indigenous adults were female (Government of Canada, 2023).
60% of all missing children/youth reports in 2023 involved females (Government of Canada, 2023).
3% of missing children/youth in 2023 were Indigenous and 70% of all missing Indigenous children/youth were female. (Government of Canada, 2023).
Anyone can report a person missing to police if they're concerned about their whereabouts. There is no time limit needed to wait before reporting someone missing (National Aboriginal Policing Services of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
Image Source: Holland Sentinel. Missing person's clipping of 14-year-old Aundria Bowman from 1989 who was eventually discovered to be the victim of femicide committed by her adoptive father who reported her a "delinquent" runaway.
Some Questions To Consider
Is there a connection between the sex trade and disappeared and murdered women and girls?
Are early incidents of male violence against girls connected to the number of disappeared and murdered adult women?
How can we move from memorializing missing Indigenous women to preventing their disappearances and femicides? What does "justice" look like?
What does it take to create a society where women and girls are no longer at risk of disappearing as a result of "foul play" carried out by men in our communities?
References
Canadian Centre For Information On Missing Adults (2024, January 2). Providing Knowledge and Guidance to Families of Missing Adults. https://ccima.ca/about-ccima/
