Canada’s 2025 Budget – Indigenous women’s safety must be recognized as a nation-building investment

Thunder Bay, ON – ONWA congratulates Prime Minister Carney on the release of his first budget as the country continues to navigate the ongoing, rapid transformation of global political, economic, and social landscapes. We recognize the importance of investing in infrastructure and economic growth during this time of generational upheaval. However, Canada and its economy are only as strong as the people and communities it protects, and ONWA is concerned to see that Indigenous women and our safety have not been prioritized in Budget 2025.

Violence against Indigenous women remains a national crisis in this country - this too requires “bold and swift” action. While Canada mobilizes billions of dollars to grow the critical mineral industry and respond to economic threats, we have yet to see this same urgency to address the threats that Indigenous women face to their lives and to their safety every day. Indigenous women continue to be murdered and go missing at alarmingly high rates, and the links between resource extraction and violence against Indigenous women is well documented. Implementation of this budget must not put Indigenous women’s safety at further risk. Indigenous women’s organizations must be engaged, and investments into violence prevention prioritized. There is an opportunity today for generational change, to create safer and more prosperous communities for all. Economic prosperity and productivity require safety first, and investment into Indigenous women’s safety must be recognized as nation-building work.

Continued funding for the Department of Women and Gender Equality represents a positive step and we welcome the government’s ongoing commitment to gender equality, including renewed investment in critical gender-based violence programs. We are disappointed, however, that there is no explicit and dedicated funding for Indigenous women, who are disproportionately impacted by all forms of gender-based violence. Indigenous women’s experiences of violence are unique, rooted in the ongoing legacies of colonialism, and our organizations are best equipped to meet our needs.

ONWA is similarly encouraged by the proposed investments into affordable housing, community infrastructure, and economic security for small-to-medium businesses, many of which are led by Indigenous women. These investments have the potential to improve Indigenous women’s safety and wellbeing but only if we are included and engaged in the development and implementation of the initiatives.

We are leaders in our families, our communities, and our nations. As knowledge keepers, we hold the solutions to the issues we face, drawing on the wisdom of our ancestors. Government cannot build “Canada Strong” without the full and equal participation of Indigenous women.

Budget 2025 has been positioned as a generational budget, intended to shape future prosperity in Canada. The choices and investments made today, and who is empowered, will determine who succeeds or who gets left behind. As Indigenous women, we refuse to be left behind. Our safety must be seen as an investment, not an expense.

ONWA looks forward to working with government departments to ensure that investments announced through Budget 2025 uplift Indigenous women and that our safety is prioritized in any decisions to reduce program spending.

For more information and media inquiries, contact: 

Andre Morriseau, Communications Manager

Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)

Email: amorriseau@onwa.ca

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