MMIWG2S will be honoured at annual Valentine’s Day Memorial March

Calgary's 16^th Annual Valentine’s Day Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two Spirit Peoples (MMIWG2S) takes place on Wednesday.

Participants will gather at Scarboro United Church at 6 p.m. and the march is expected to wrap up at 9 p.m.

The march is part of an international movement to remember women, girls and two-spirit peoples who have been killed, are missing or have been exploited.

"There’s been a disproportionate number of women, girls and two-spirit people that have been murdered or have gone missing on the streets of Calgary and I think it’s important we highlight those families and those stories," said Calgary march organizer Chantal Chagnon.

Chagnon is Cree, Anishnawbe and Metis, and comes from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.

"We can take them out of the realm of statistics and bring into the realm of these are your neighbours, friends, and family. These are people in our community that are struggling that we need to advocate for," Chagnon adds. 

There is a lot of disagreement about the number of MMIWG2S in Canada, but a 2014 RCMP report estimates there have been around 1,200 between 1980 and 2012.

Other Indigenous organizations estimate that number is closer to 4,000, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.

Chagnon says Indigenous women are five time more likely to die because of violence than any other group of women in Canada, and they are at a greater risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner and by a stranger. 

"Indigenous people make up only about four per cent of the population, but statistically we’re over-represented when it comes to violence against women, girls and two-spirit people. We’re over-represented in the justice system, the foster-care system, and I think a lot of that stems from Residential Schools," Chagnon says. 

Between 40,000 – 50,000 people attend Women’s Memorial Marches in Canada each year, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.

"We are valuable, we are loved, and we are cared for. These families deserve justice for those they have lost and they deserve answers," Chagnon says. 

Event Details

• What: The 16^th Annual Valentine’s Day Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women, Girls and Two Spirit Peoples
• Where: Scarboro United Church (134 Scarboro Avenue SW, Calgary)
• March route: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VZF6LfwFiu4TCHNy5
• Date: February 14, 2024
• Doors open: 6 p.m.
• Performances and speeches: 6:30 p.m.
• March: 7:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.