Volunteers and advocates in Prince George are hosting a Women’s Memorial March on Thursday to raise awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls.
The Women’s Memorial March is held annually and was first held in 1992 in Vancouver in response to the murder of a woman on the downtown east side.
The march continues on the 14th of February each year to commemorate and honour the lives of those lost and call for action as Indigenous women and girls continue to continue to be disproportionally lost and affected by gender-based violence.
According to Amnesty International, Indigenous women and girls are at least three times more likely to experience violence, and at least six times more likely to be murdered than any other woman or girl in Canada.
Prince George is also located along Highway 16 - commonly referred to as the Highway of Tears – the 725-kilometre stretch of highway where many Indigenous women and girls have gone missing or been murdered since 1970.
This year the Prince George Women’s Memorial March Committee is hosting its event on Thursday, February 23.
The March will begin at 12 p.m. at the Prince George Courthouse and then between 1 and 1:30 p.m. the participants will march to the Native Friendship Centre where there will be performers, speakers and refreshments available.
Organizers are encouraging participants to bring their signs and raise their voices as they march through the streets but would also like to remind everyone to stay on the sidewalks and abide by the flow of traffic, light and stop signs.
You can find out more about this event or sign up to volunteer through its Facebook page.
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