About the Event National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is pleased to host the National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice on March 20, 2025. The Forum aims to conduct national engagement on the theme, “Prevention of Human Trafficking and Sexual Trafficking,” to inform the AFN’s advocacy positions, raise awareness, advance mandates, and develop indicators for the AFN’s Calls for Justice Progress Report.
Register Now
This website will provide information on the AFN National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice. Check back for updated information as details are confirmed.
How to Attend Find out how to register.
Registration
Who should attend?
- First Nations Chiefs and Council members
- First Nations delegates and technicians
- First Nations Band Representatives
- Academia
- Government, non-profit and corporate representatives
- Youth/Students
- Law enforcement officials
Please select the date below to register:
- March 20, 2025, 10:00am-4:00pm ET (Online Event)
You will receive an email in the coming weeks with information including:
- A virtual meeting link.
- Contact information for wellness supports.
- French interpretation will be made available for each session.
Should you have any questions or need technical assistance, please email us at [email protected].
Wellness Supports
The AFN is committed to carrying out advocacy work on MMIWG2S+ using a “families’ first,” distinctions-based, and trauma-informed approach.
Supports are available via the Hope for Wellness Help Line for immediate help, 24/7 hours a day, 7 days a week: Toll Free: 1-855-242-3310 and/or
The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line for immediate help: Toll Free: 1-866-925-4419
Background
The AFN released the report “Breathing Life into the Calls for Justice: An Action Plan to End Violence Against First Nations Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People” on June 3, 2021. This report provides a national framework for supporting Survivors and families, Prevention, and Healing Ourselves and Our First Nations. Breathing Life into the Calls for Justice is meant to be an “evergreen” document and will be updated as needed.
The AFN coordinated the First National MMIWG2S+ Gathering in Vancouver, British Columbia from February 14 to 16, 2023. The “Connecting Hearts and Making Change, Building on Breathing Life into the Calls for Justice: An Action Plan to End Violence Against First Nations Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People” was created as an expression of the collective voice of Survivors and families represented at the Gathering.
On June 3, 2024, the AFN released the “Progress on Breathing Life into the Calls for Justice: A CFJ Progress Report,” which serves as a monitoring and implementation tool for both governmental and non-governmental activities since the National Inquiry’s release of their Final Report. The AFN CFJ Progress Report is the first update on progress made towards the full implementation of the CFJ and includes a summary of notable steps forward and backward during the five-year (2019-2024) review period.
First Nations-in-Assembly have passed several resolutions providing the mandate to carry out activities that support the implementation of the National Action Plan to end violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples, and to advance the implementation of the National Inquiry’s Calls for Justice. These resolutions include:
- AFN Resolution 89/2023, Call for Canada to Implement the National Inquiry’s 231 Calls for Justice related to MMIWG2S+ and First Nations Control of Funding
- AFN Resolution 17/2024, Call for International Collaboration on MMIWG2S+ and Rescinding Support for Leonard Peltier
- AFN Resolution 18/2024, Call for Acceleration of the MMIWG2S+ National Action Plan and Calls for Justice Implementation
Theme
National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice, Prevention of Human Trafficking and Sexual Trafficking 2025
March 20, 2025 | 10:00am-4:00pm ET
The theme for the inaugural National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice is Prevention of Human Trafficking and Sexual Trafficking. According to the National Inquiry, Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people comprise a disproportionate number of persons trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Call for Justice 7.3 calls upon all governments to support Indigenous-led prevention initiatives related to sexual trafficking awareness and eliminating barriers to exiting trafficking. There is a need for more national coordination to develop multi-sectoral culturally relevant and gender-responsive training tools, as outlined in the protection pillar of the National Strategy to Combat Trafficking 2019-2024. The primary objective of this forum is to inform advocacy positions, raise awareness, advance mandates, and legitimize indicators for the analysis under the AFN’s Annual Calls for Justice (CFJ) Progress Report.
The National Virtual Forum provides an opportunity to advance awareness of this complex issue and move towards solutions, by hearing from diverse speakers offering a range of perspectives and expertise on the prevention of human trafficking and sexual trafficking of First Nations women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals.
The event will include a keynote address and three panels of experts on human trafficking and sexual trafficking who will discuss the following three sub-themes:
- Contributing causes and prevention;
- Preventing trafficking of 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals; and
- Cross-jurisdictional regional and international considerations.
Participants will be invited to engage in the discussion through Q&A portions of the agenda.
This event will be recorded, and a report of the discussions will be available following the National Virtual Forum.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the AFN National Virtual Forum on Advancing the MMIWG2S+ Calls for Justice, please email [email protected].