Event Details July 16, 2025 10:00 Geneva (Timezone) Sponsoring Organization Giganawenimaanaanig (We All Take Care of Them), an organization of Indigenous women and gender-diverse persons, based in Treaty 1 Territory and the Homeland of the Red River Métis in Manitoba, Canada. Co-sponsor National Family and Survivors Circle, an organization of Indigenous women and two-spirit persons from across Canada established to help engage families, survivors, and gender diverse people in the development and implementation of a National Action Plan on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Purpose of the event As noted by the Expert Mechanism in its draft study, “Right of Indigenous Peoples to data, including with regard to data collection and disaggregation,” accurate, responsible data collection and analysis is recognized as essential to ending discrimination, including violence against Indigenous women and girls. The side event is intended to foster an exchange of information about data control, protection, and use in the critical human rights context of violence against Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse persons. The discussion will: § Raise awareness of critical gender implications of Indigenous data rights; § Provide input to the finalization of EMRIP’s joint study; and § Share knowledge among participating organizations and build connections for future networking. Format Presentation followed by a moderated round table with all participants. Speakers: Moderator: Claire Charters, University of Auckland (confirmed) Hilda Anderson-Pyrz, National Family and Survivors Circle (confirmed) Chief Tréchelle Bunn, Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation (confirmed) Alma Sinumlag, Indigenous Peoples Rights International (confirmed) Background Giganawenimaanaanig was created by family representatives, service providers, and other grassroots advocates who came together around the Canadian National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Giganawenimaanaanig currently serves as the lead organization in the development of a provincial alert system to quickly mobilize communities and police when an Indigenous woman, girl or two-spirit individual is reported missing. An extensive community engagement process carried out in the development of this Red Dress Alert system has highlighted need for stronger, rights-based protocols for how data related to missing persons is gathered, protected and used. Giganawenimaanaanig has also been actively involved in a number of public campaigns to find and repatriate the remains of murdered Indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse individuals. The two issues of data sovereignty and repatriation of human remains are interrelated, and overlap in respect to the use of DNA as tool for identifying missing persons.
