5th Anniversary of the Memorandum of Understanding signing with Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

Ottawa — The Minister of Crown–Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller; and President of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, Gerri Sharpe, issued the following joint statement today:

“Five years ago this month, the Government of Canada and Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada signed a Partnership Agreement to address issues of common concern that directly affect the well-being and safety of Inuit women, children and gender-diverse people across Canada. Taking the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), this agreement identified shared priorities for joint action and provided for a greater role and voice for Inuit women in federal policy development.

Over the last 5 years, Canada and Pauktuutit have partnered on important initiatives that support the priorities of the MOU, including addressing socio-economic gaps facing Inuit women, preventing violence and abuse, and promoting health and wellness. In 2018, at the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada Annual General Meeting, the Government of Canada committed additional funding to help increase Pauktuutit’s capacity to implement initiatives that directly address the safety and well-being of Inuit women and children, as well as focus on new and emerging issues, including youth issues and women’s leadership.

In April 2020, Pauktuutit led a project to build five multi-purpose emergency shelters and transitional housing projects to increase the safety and security of Inuit women and children in Inuit Nunangat and Ottawa. This led to the creation of the Inuit Shelters and Transition Homes Working Group who provide proper housing to Inuit who may need it.

In Fall 2020, Pauktuutit contributed to the development of Bill C-15, which upholds the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples by including a written submission that was ultimately reflected in the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples Act.

Throughout 2020 to June 2021, Pauktuutit participated in the development of the 2021 Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People National Action Plan, and co-created the National Inuit Action Plan. Pauktuutit also contributed to the development of the 2022 Progress Report for the National Action Plan by releasing their own 2022 Progress Report, identifying early successes and their prioritized next steps.

Since the agreement, Pauktuutit has grown from a staffing compliment of 10 and increased its organizational capacity with an anticipated growth to over 40 dedicated individuals, all committed to amplifying and empowering the voices of Inuit women.

Pauktuutit is also proud to announce that an Inuit-specific GBA+ framework has been developed and copywritten. The framework is a tool and mechanism to ensure that Inuit women’s needs are met, and ensures that impacts specific to Inuit women, children and gender-diverse people have been considered and understood before a decision is made.

Reflecting on some of the notable successes that were made possible within the context of the agreement, both Pauktuutit and the Government of Canada also recognize that there is more work to be done in building capacity of Inuit women and gender-diverse people and look forward to collaborating together for many years to come. The Government of Canada remains committed to involving Pauktuutit in any and all policy discussions involving Inuit women, children, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.”