Eliminating Violence Against Women Changes Lives. Here’s Our Story

“Not only is knowledge power, but knowledge is also empowering.”

That’s a statement made in reference to Safe Passage initiatives, said by Elisha Corbett, The Native Women’s Association of Canada’s (NWAC) Manager for its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) department.

“This is really something where we can empower ourselves; build community, and build safety resources,” Ms. Corbett adds.

Safe Passage is an information and safety initiative created in 2019 by NWAC, focusing on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit+ (MMIWG2S+) genocide and in response to the 231 Calls for Justice. It is a community-driven, trauma-informed, survivor-centred resource, providing support, education, and a safe space to build community.

“Safe passage was initially started as a way to … provide some resources, and research, and training toolkits for industries involved directly with the MMIWG genocide,” Ms. Corbett says. We partnered with truckers against trafficking and provided a bunch of resources for the hospitality industry.From there, Safe Passage quickly gained momentum. In April, Safe Passage expanded, growing into an interactive information hub containing a MMIWG2S+ stories, support from Elders and Knowledge Keepers, a resource centre, a space to report and view unsafe experiences, and an interactive Safe Passage community resource map.

“We really want it to be focused on violence prevention,” Ms. Corbett says, adding that while compiling data on MMIWG2S+ cases is still an important mission, finding ways to prevent and reduce these instances of violence, murder, and disappearances is the ultimate goal.

“I really see safe passage is a way to advocate for putting in more community safety resources,” says Ms. Corbett, referencing the Safe Passage Map. “We're going to be able to see in real time where there are community resources where there aren't. And, where we're getting an overwhelming amount of people saying they feel unsafe.

“To me, that is just invaluable information—to be able to demonstrate the need for more safety resources,” Ms. Corbett adds.

Chanel Blouin, NWAC MMIWG Policy Advisor, says these resources will allow people to understand the risks and resources available to them in their communities as well as communities they plan to travel to.

“This is such a powerful tool. It's really going to help people, and keep each other—like, Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Transgender, and Gender-Diverse People—safe,” Ms. Blouin says. “We keep ourselves safe. … by sharing these experiences. We're creating a safety net.”

For Ms. Corbett, being involved in Safe Passage has been “personally” and “genuinely” gratifying. “I would do this for years if it could just be for one person. But, my hope, and our goal, is that it's going to hopefully help more than just one person.”

For Ms. Blouin, one of the most gratifying parts of Safe Passage has been amending and improving upon its reporting system to make it more user friendly and allow all cases of MMIWG2S+ to be shared and heard.

“We've heard from family members who … wouldn't necessarily be able to use the previous tool, but in this case, they would,” says Ms. Blouin. The previous system, and other MMIWG2S+ information gathering databases, require location, perpetrator’s name(s), date, time, and a police report or news article to accompany the claim. Many details can be lost during a traumatic event, and reports are often not made due to fear for safety or lack of resources. For Ms. Blouin, now giving autonomy to survivors and families to share experiences and stories in a safe space is one of the most gratifying aspects of Safe Passage.

“It's really rewarding and inspiring to be able to see … family members and survivors [share] their stories. It’s really, really important to me. And, I feel so fortunate and so grateful that I get to work for an organization where we can provide this platform, this opportunity, for families to reclaim those stories,” Ms. Corbett adds.

“If we can create our own community network of where women are [sharing] things around human trafficking happening here. … Knowledge is power. And, if we are creating this knowledge, and we're sharing this knowledge, I think that that is just so, so important,” Ms. Corbett says.?

Written by Ashley Foley Espinoza, NWAC Editor