Red Dress Day
On May 5, we mark Red Dress Day, a solemn and powerful occasion to honour the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S+), and to stand in solidarity with their families, communities, and loved ones.
Red Dress Day began with the REDress Project by Métis artist Jaime Black, where empty red dresses displayed in public spaces serve as a stark and haunting reminder of those who are no longer here. These dresses represent absence, loss, and the enduring presence of those whose lives were taken too soon.
This day calls attention to a national crisis rooted in systemic inequality, colonialism, and ongoing discrimination. Indigenous women and girls continue to face disproportionately high rates of violence in Canada, and too many cases remain unresolved, leaving families without answers and communities without justice.
Red Dress Day is both a day of remembrance and a call to action. It asks all of us to reflect on our collective responsibility to confront the conditions that allow this violence to persist. It requires meaningful commitment to the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and to the broader work of reconciliation, accountability, and systemic change.
In Nova Scotia, we recognize the importance of centering Indigenous voices and experiences in this work. We must continue to listen, to learn, and to act in ways that uphold the dignity, safety, and human rights of Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.
Today, we honour those who are missing and those who have been taken. We remember them not only in grief, but in a shared commitment to justice, truth, and lasting change.
The preceding is a message from Joseph Fraser, Director & CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.
Quick Facts
- Indigenous Women are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than any other women in Canada.
- While Indigenous women and girls made up only 5% of Canada’s total female population according to the 2016 Census, they account for 23% of all women and girls murdered in Canada between 2014 and 2018.
Resources
- Moosehide Campaign
- White Ribbon Campaign
- How Red Dresses Became a Symbol for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
- Magit's Doll: Elder Magit Poulette shares a story with students at the We’koqom’a Mi’kmaw School in Cape Breton (YouTube)
- Video: The REDress Project, an art installation by artist Jaime Black
- MMIWG2S Their Voices Will Guide Us: Youth and Student Engagement Guide
- MMIWG2S Gallery of Artistic Expressions
- The Red Dress (film via National Film Board of Canada)
- Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls: Films and Documentaries
- Honour and Remember: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls
- Bringing a Human Rights Based Approach to the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry
- Safe Passage Map
- MMIWG2S Wellness Tools