The Ministry of Justice says there is no simple solution to the issue of violence against aboriginal women and it will take a combined effort from everyone involved to address the issue.
Jan Turner, Assistant Deputy Minister for Courts and Tribunals, presented the ministry’s draft of a justice framework to address the issue at Thursday’s Northern Justice Symposium in Prince Albert.
Turner says some of the key principles in the framework is a need for healing, the openness to flexibility and the idea that men are key agents to help bring about change. “It’s incumbent on everyone to intervene to say no and to set a better role model particularly for young boys,” said Turner.
“When anyone sees something be prepared to step forward and say something, everyone plays a role in ending violence.”
The current Justice Framework is still a draft, so there was also discussion this morning about ideas to add to the framework.
The framework is only the beginning of a process to encourage dialogue between different Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups to work together to address violence against Aboriginal girls and women.
“All of this will be put together and will be given back to the Ministry of Justice to make the necessary changes to reflect all of these views,” said Turner.
“Similar discussions are happening all across the country to see if as a country we can agree that this is the way forward.”
Turner says a national inquiry into murdered or missing Aboriginal women and girls is still not supported on the federal level, but a national forum could take place in early spring.