Lack of resources behind slow pace of plan to prevent on violence against Indigenous women, official says

The civil servant in charge of implementing a plan to address violence against Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ people, women and girls says a lack of resources is behind the government’s slow progress.

In September 2023, the Women’s Equality branch of the government published 39 commitments in a plan titled, Weaving our Voices Together. The plan is New Brunswick's response to the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

Nicole McCarty, the assistant deputy minister charged with overseeing the Women’s Equality branch in government, repeatedly told the legislature’s public accounts committee Friday that issues with co-ordinating and tracking progress on that plan was due to a lack of resources within the branch.

“We did not have the time or capacity to do that work the way that we had intended,” McCarty said. 

In December, Auditor General Paul Martin reported the province had implemented only 10 per cent of 39 action items within the expected two years, as of the audit period of September 2023 to June 2025.

Martin wrote that Women’s Equality did not have “systems and practices in place to implement, monitor and report on” the plan.

"The national report has been issued, I believe it’s almost 10 years ago now, we have a plan to finally look at it for New Brunswick, and it’s sitting on a desk with nothing happening," Martin told reporters in December. 

"That’s unacceptable. It’s time to stand up and take responsibility, and do what you said you were going to do."

McCarty said that resources within the branch are improving and that while there has been a lack of reporting on progress, work is being done across the government to implement the plan.

According to McCarty, just one person within Women’s Equality is responsible for that work, which makes up only part of their responsibilities. 

A dedicated person to focus on the report is needed in order to see more progress. 

“With the magnitude of the work that we need to do for Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people, we believe that one dedicated person for weaving our voices is necessary and another person to facilitate some of the external work that happens around that,” McCarty said.

“Again, all of it is linked to Weaving our Voices in either a direct or indirect manner, but one full time dedicated solely to Weaving Our Voices would be the desired outcome.”

Green MLA Megan Mitton was concerned that a lack of dedicated staff could be the difference between life and death for Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people in the province.