Canadian Missing Women Inquiry plagued by scandals

Emine Dilek
WVoN co-editor

Dozens of Canadian women, mostly sex workers and aboriginals, started going missing in the early 70s.

Then in the 90s, a new cluster of missing cases provoked friends and families to start asking questions about the lack of arrests.

After many marches, vigils and protests, the Canadian government finally decided to open a public inquiry last October, called the Missing Women Inquiry.

But earlier this month, 15 groups, announced their decision to boycott the policy forums next month of the flawed inquiry in an open letter to Commissioner Wally Oppal.

Since it was set up, the commission has been beset with a series of problems – from shady police work to sexual harassment allegations that caused the executive director of the commission to be investigated.

In addition, an increasing number of individuals and groups have criticised it for failing to address issues such as racism, sexism and discrimination.

The letter states that

“The commission has lost all credibility among aboriginal, sex work, human rights and women’s organizations that work with and are comprised of the very women most affected by the issues this inquiry is charged with investigating.”

Aboriginal Front Door Society executive director Mona Woodward told The Tyee that the inquiry has inadequately represented the views of aboriginal and community organizations because they could not afford lawyers.

Woodward said many of the groups are planning to bring these issues before the United Nations in the hope of starting a “shadow inquiry” into the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry.