On May 5, 2025, Red Dress Day will be observed across Canada – a day to honour and bring awareness to the thousands of Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, transgender and gender-diverse people who have gone missing or who have been murdered.
Between 2009 and 2021, the rate of homicide against Indigenous women and girls was six times higher than the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts. By observing Red Dress Day, we acknowledge the hard truths about the disproportionate violence perpetrated against Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit, Transgender and Gender-Diverse Peoples (MMIWG2S+).
The red dress, left empty as a stark visual reminder of all MMIWG2S+, is representative of both vitality and violence. According to Jaime Black, the Métis visual artist who originated the day, the colour red serves both as a calling back of the spirits of MMIWG2S+ and as a symbol of “our lifeblood and that connection between all of us.”
As Canadians, it is our ongoing responsibility to honour those MMIWG2S+ who have been lost, while at the same time uplifting the voices of the Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, transgender and gender-diverse peoples who continue to face this human rights crisis. As part of our ongoing commitment to the work and importance of reconciliation, MLT Aikins has assembled an aggregated list of resources and readings about Red Dress Day and MMIWG2S+.
Be a voice for change this May 5 – take the time to educate yourself about the ways that you can support and spread awareness of Red Dress Day and MMIWG2S+.
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