Canada to Indigenous women: ‘Our systems have failed you’

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau promises resources to address violence against Indigenous women, but some want concrete action.

The Canadian government said on Thursday it would direct more resources to First Nations police and address systemic racism in the justice system and law enforcement to tackle violence against Indigenous women, but gave no time frame for achieving its “transformative changes.” The government promised to give Indigenous communities more control over some social services and improve access to healthcare. Its plan comes two years after a report into the deaths of more than 1,000 Indigenous women and girls in recent decades called it a national genocide. The government said it would address systemic racism among the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the national law enforcement agency responsible for policing many rural areas in the country, through improved recruitment and training.