NWAC Action Plan 2010

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Native Womens Association of CanadaAction Plan for Aboriginal Women


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Action Plan for Aboriginal Women

Building the Case for Change

2010 marks a year of change. Faced with economic challenges and unstable global economy, the

federal government has committed to an Economic Action Plan to ensure government investment

is targeted in a way that stimulates the Canadian economy, and provides opportunities for

workers. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) also developed a plan for Aboriginal

economic development to shape opportunities for investment called Toward a New Federal

Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development. However, despite the interest in developing

frameworks for change, neither plan reflects the current realities and experiences of Aboriginal

women who are the most socially, politically and economically marginalized group in Canada.

For this reason, NWAC supports Status of Women Canadas recommendation to have an

Aboriginal Womens Action Plan to address the specific circumstances of Aboriginal women

and work towards meaningful change.

The following overview identifies the key priorities for NWAC and activities that will continue

to inform policy and improve programs and services for Aboriginal women and families.

Included are planned activities and the estimated number of individuals, communities or

partnerships that will result from these activities. In developing a plan of action, it is important to

note that much of these activities, or the impact of these activities, cannot be quantified. For this

reason, the evaluation plan or methodology for measuring impact and action will be supported by

a qualitative evaluation methodology that has been proven to capture changes in attitudes and

behaviour.


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An Action Plan for Aboriginal Women

Developing the Plan

NWACs Action Plan for Aboriginal Women began with the discussion of the next phase of theSisters In Spirit (SIS) initiative. Based on a series of discussions with Status of Women Canada,

the interests and objectives of other federal government departments, experts and NWAC staff,NWAC has developed a clear and comprehensive plan of targeted investment which will lead to

the improvement of outcomes for Aboriginal women, men, families, and communities in the

targeted policy areas of reducing violence, improving economic security and achieving highereducational outcomes.

The framework for action has been shaped by the ongoing needs of women, girls, families andcommunities. While there have been great efforts in recent years to invest and achieve better

outcomes for Aboriginal peoples, much of the policy and investment is based on models that

have not worked. This Action Plan focuses on responding to needs based on the current

jurisdictional framework and divisions of power within the Canadian state. This is a pragmatic

and collaborative approach that builds on the knowledge, expertise and understanding of theneeds of First Nations, Mtis and Inuit peoples that comes from the five National Aboriginal

Organizations (NWAC, AFN, ITK, MNC, and CAP), and calls on the federal, provincial, andterritorial governments to commit to targeted investment and policy change.

NWAC sees Aboriginal voices as central to the Action Plan, but the mechanism for change

comes from provincial, territorial and federal government. Thus, it is one of our key priorities tobuild collaborative relationships with provincial and territorial governments, and support this

with partnerships with other National Aboriginal Organizations, communities and community

organizations, educators, service providers and other key stakeholders representing the rights and

interests of Aboriginal women and men to ensure sustainability and lasting change.

Goals and Guiding Principles

In Aboriginal culture, children are at the core of the community, with women highly valued for

their role in upbringing and giving life for the continuation of the community and nations, whilemen protected both and Elders ensured the transference of traditional knowledge, language and

culture to all. This life cycle approach to rebuilding families and communities is at the core of

the education and outreach work of NWAC, as well as the policy areas and action or activitiesthat NWAC believes will have the greatest impact for Aboriginal women. NWACs Action Planfocuses on restoring the role of women and is built on the following three pillars:

1) Ending violence against Aboriginal women and girls2) Economic Development3) Education


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These goals are based on the key priorities of the Aboriginal Affairs Working Group (AAWG),and include the key recommendations of the five NAOs. However, to achieve these goals,

NWAC has identified guiding principles to ensure equal outcomes for Aboriginal women and

girls, as well as men and boys. The following guiding principles support the development of this

Action Plan:

Equality: Based on a culture and gender equality approach, this goal assumes that womenand men, boys and girls should, where possible, have similar access to resources and

opportunities and experience similar outcomes.

Opportunity and Choice: Aboriginal women and girls must have the opportunity and

choice to choose a life path and have the choice to pursue it.

Full and Active Participation: The goal of full and active participation aims to ensure that

all Aboriginal women are able to participate in society as they choose and are not limited

or constrained by discrimination (either direct or indirect), lack of opportunity or lack of

adequate support.

Adequate Resources: Resources can include money, adequate time, education, health

care, and support. Aboriginal women and girls should have adequate resources that are

not linked to their dependency on another person.

No Discrimination: The right to be free from discrimination is guaranteed in Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms; however, to expand on the rights guaranteed through the

Constitution Act, this goal incorporates both direct discrimination and discrimination

through structures or systems that limit access to services based on identity, geography,

or lack of culturally sensitive services.

Society that Values the Contribution of Aboriginal Women: For the contribution of First

Nations, Metis, and Inuit women to society to be truly valued, value and recognition

needs to occur at an individual, family, community, regional and national level. This

needs to incorporate the contribution Aboriginal women make through unpaid work (such

as raising children, caring for Elders, and building strong families and communities) and

equal value acknowledged and reflected in paid work.

This set of guiding principles has not only been used to direct the development of the ActionPlan, but will assist in managing and measuring progress towards the ultimate goals of ending

violence, economic security and achieving higher educational outcomes.


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Violence Against Aboriginal Women and GirlsThere are more than 580 known cases of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in

Canada today, and thousands of women and girls in communities who experience violence,

abuse and exploitation at different stages of their life cycle.

The Sisters In Spirit (SIS) initiative of the Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC) has

worked to provide the most comprehensive source of evidence related to missing and murderedAboriginal women and girls. This knowledge assists NWAC and other stakeholders to explore

the connection between the root causes of violence and identify measures to increase the safety

of Aboriginal women and girls. While NWAC has made great strides in bringing to light issues

of violence that have led to disappearance and death of Aboriginal women and girls, Aboriginalwomen continue to be the most at risk group in Canada for issues related to violence, and

complex issues linked to intergenerational impacts of colonization and residential schools.

The next step is to bring this evidence to action, while continuing to support the data forinformed policy and program development. One of our key priorities of this next phase of action

is to build collaborative relationships with other government departments, and support this with

partnerships with other National Aboriginal Organizations, communities and communityorganizations, police services, educators, researchers, service providers and international allies

representing the rights and interests of indigenous women to ensure sustainability and lasting

change.

NWAC believes such a plan must focus measureable results over the short, medium and long

term. Through the leading research on violence and vulnerability of Aboriginal women and girls,

we believe the four priority areas must focus on:

Reducing violence against Aboriginal women and girls

Increasing access to justice

Improving economic outcomes and socioeconomic stability

Reducing the impact of the child welfare system

The ultimate aim of this Action Plan and the work of NWAC are to reduce the violence and

vulnerability experienced by Aboriginal women and girls. However, any action requirescoordination and collaboration.

To effectively respond to Aboriginal womens experiences of violence there must be further

dialogue between FPT governments, police and justice officials, and other key stakeholders tobetter understand leading practices and policy changes that have worked. However, for

meaningful change to occur in the area of violence, the solution must come through federal,provincial and territorial commitment and action.

Recommendation:The responsibilities for the provinces and territories include targeted investment in social

services to support Aboriginal women who are at risk of exploitation and victimization;


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income and housing support to ensure safety and choice; equal access to justice by havingmandatory sensitivity training for police and justice officials and culturally-based victim

services; and, providing equal funding and culturally appropriate supports, services, and

models of care in the child welfare system.

Economic Development

The full and equal participation of Aboriginal women in economic development will providelong term, sustainable economic growth and prosperity not only for families and communities

but for Canada as a whole. The Native Womens Association of Canada is active in pursuing

opportunities and leading practices to break down barriers to economic development through aCulturally Relevant Gender Based Analysis of the Federal Action Plan on Economic

Development.

There are clear barriers in Canada to Aboriginal womens full and equal participation not only inthe Canadian economy, but in opportunities for economic development. The Native WomensAssociation of Canada is active in pursuing opportunities to break down these barriers, but also

to increase understanding and awareness of the challenges that are specific to Aboriginal women

and families, and how these differences cannot be overlooked in any strategy to improveeconomic outcomes for Aboriginal peoples in Canada. To improve economic outcomes, the

federal, provincial and territorial governments must commit to the following priorities:

Improving Access to Capital

The goal of increased access to capital is necessary to build the assets and capacity of Aboriginal

business in Canada, but we cannot forget that business tends to follow a traditional westernmodel for investment, and overlooks alternative practices for funding and investment. To

improve access to capital that provides equal opportunities for Aboriginal women and men in

business, as well as sustainable outcomes we must go back to the basics and look at what works.

Recommendation:Develop micro-financing and business development solutions to support the development

of communities and womens participation in sustainable business.

Training and Development

With regard to training and development, it is critical that plans are coordinated, respectful andresponsive to the different conditions, gender issues, regional needs of First Nations, Inuit andMtis women and men, as well as opportunity-based. For example, individuals living in rural,

remote, on-reserve, or in northern communities, should have access to training and development

that will allow them to stay in their home community if they so choose. Creating partnershipswith university and community colleges to have distance education programs with resources to

support completing courses, diplomas and degrees will help to improve not only the educationgap, but the economic gap as well.

Recommendation:Community and economic development requires long term strategies to increase

economic, human, and cultural capital. Therefore, federal, provincial and territorialgovernments must increase investment and access to training and development programs

and services in both traditional and non-traditional fields.


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Leadership

Leadership is also an important aspect to improving community economic development. While

statistics of poverty, substandard housing, health and mental health challenges, and low

educational attainment are often quoted about Aboriginal peoples and communities, there are

many more stories of leadership, strength and resilience that go untold. We have to start tellingthese stories, celebrating successes, and recognizing that leadership exists in every community,

but too often remains an untapped resource that limits economic growth and development.However, the goal of building leadership capacity should recognize that leadership is not foundin one person, in one position, or limited to an organization or a community governance

structure. Leadership is found in women as often as men, and in youth as well as experience. We

believe that successes will continue to be limited if Aboriginal women and their organizations gounrecognized as leaders.

Recommendation:

Federal, provincial, territorial, as well as Aboriginal governments and business mustcommit to the engagement and active participation of Aboriginal women in leadership

and decision-making roles and in the promotion of economic development to achieve

sustainable economic outcomes for all members of our communities.

Community Assets and Equitable PartnershipsSimilar to leadership, community assets exist, but are too often overlooked as small or simple

successes. While leadership is about action, community assets are the tangible outcomes ofaction. We have to start by looking at the examples of action and outcomes in our communities

and build on theseboth large and small. We must take these examples and leverage them, build

partnerships, and identify how and why these actions work in the community, understand theenvironment that supports the success, and ensure that there is ongoing leadership development

so that successes are ongoing.

Building partnerships must also be about equitable partnerships between the private sector andAboriginal peoples, and structured in a way that addresses the duty to consult and accommodate

for both women and men. Growth in business partnerships must also have equitable outcomes,

whether it be balanced job creation for women and men, or community investment strategies thatstrengthen the base of the whole community, rather than benefitting a small few.

Recommendation:

Conduct a culture and gender based analysis of community assets and developmentfunding at the federal, provincial and territorial levels to evaluate access and outcomes of

the funding.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments implement equitable funding

opportunities for Aboriginal women in business, community capacity building and

leadership roles.

Coordination and the FPT processFederal, provincial and territorial governments have been challenged to find effective solutions

for Aboriginal communities. For this reason, the Native Womens Association of Canadabelieves in going back to the basics and looking at three broad areas:


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1. Activationmeaning we have to take advantage of opportunities2. Basebuilding on the economic potential of communities, whether it be the land and

natural resources, investing in micro-enterprise and small business, or rebuilding pride

and healing to ensure communities are ready for growth

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Climatewhich means creating the right economic conditions. Economic developmentcannot occur without gender-balanced governance and institutions, understanding the

impact of the legal and regulatory climate on Aboriginal women and men, understanding

the impact intergenerational poverty has had on women and men, and overcoming

violence that has been pervasive in many communities for generations.

We have to start by re-framing our understanding of economic development and make sure that

it works for communities and with communities in order to have lasting change.

Education

The Native Womens Association of Canada supports the three priority areas of action identifiedby the AAWG and the CMEC:

To define, collect and share data;

To increase federal investment in education; and

Improve information sharing and reporting on progress

NWAC also believes that outcomes in education require a commitment to all stages of learningthroughout the life cycle and must recognize mothers as educators who are critical to providing

the foundation for learning.

Improving outcomes in education and learning for all Aboriginal peoples must also recognize therange of socioeconomic factors that impact families and influence learning. Equal outcomes start

with equal beginnings and so we must ensure that education policy is complemented by

supporting healthy families and improving social and economic inequalities that have for toolong impacted the outcomes of Aboriginal youth.

AAWG Support for Provincial and Territorial ProcessesThere cannot be a one-size fits all approach to education. We believe that collaboration and

investment in education must recognize differences in culture, language, history, and gender, and

be supportive of opportunities to celebrate these differences. By celebrating differences between

both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal cultures, we will begin to break down barriers and reducenot only the graduation gap, but the number of young Aboriginal women and men teaching the

next generation of young minds.

However, in celebrating differences it is critical for governments to look at the realities facingFirst Nations, Mtis and Inuit women and families. In Canada today, many Aboriginal women

and families dont follow the western model of learning and education. Instead, learning occurs

throughout the lifecycle, with young mothers often needing support to continue high school and


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post secondary learning. For this reason, reporting on progress must include a broad measure ofthe needs of all family members. It is through the support of all family members that we will

promote leadership and parental involvement in childrens education.

Recommendation:Federal, provincial, territorial and local investment in education should reflect a holistic

approach to learning

with specific funding targeted for women and communities tosupport childrens educational opportunities to pass on knowledge in both formal andinformal ways.

Working with the Federal GovernmentThe federal government has a very important role to play in education to ensure that children

both on and off reserve are achieving to their highest potential. To meet this goal, it is critical

that the federal government provide leadership and financial investment. While elementary and

secondary school education falls under the jurisdiction of provincial and territorial governments,there must be sufficient funding to allow for children to have a healthy start. The federal

government also has an important role in creating opportunities to increase educational

attainment and learning throughout the lifecycle, which are vital to lifelong learning and

improving overall educational outcomes.

Recommendation:

Eliminate barriers to programs and services targeting students, such as age restrictionsand restrictions that prevent family members from receiving support for care-giving

which collecting student loans.

Governments must also work together to enhance Aboriginal womens access to fundingopportunities, scholarships and bursaries, and increase funding options for childcare and

transportation.

Conclusion

Addressing the socioeconomic disparities, poor educational outcomes and issues of violenceagainst Aboriginal women and girls is a complex and complicated endeavor; one that neither

Canada nor NWAC can achieve in isolation. It is for this very reason that a coordinated federal,

provincial and territorial Action Plan for Aboriginal Women and girls is necessary. NWAC is

committed to achieving equal outcomes for all Aboriginal women, recognizing distinct cultures,traditions, and identities. As a collective voice for Aboriginal women from coast to coast to

coast, we believe this Action Plan is a foundation for change. This action plan will build on theknowledge, expertise, evidence, relationships and policy recommendations that have been the

result of the AAWG and other FPT meetings.


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Native Womens Association ofCanada

Head Office:Six Nations of the Grand River1721 Chiefswood Rd, PO Box 331Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0T: 519.445.0990F: 519.445.0924

Satellite Office:1 Nicholas Street, 9th FloorOttawa, ON K1N 7B7T: 613.722.3033F: 613.722.7687

Toll Free: 1.800.461.4043

www.nwac.ca

For further information about Sisters In Spirit, please

contact the NWAC satellite office.


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Aboriginal women and girls are strongand beautiful.

They are our mothers, our daughters,our sisters, aunties, and grandmothers.

Documents

NWAC Action Plan 2010