“This Charter represents a historic milestone for the rights of First Nations women and girls. It is the result of discussions held over the past years, during nation-wide consultations and at the Great Summit of May 2024. Years of resilience, collaboration, and courage from women have allowed us to envision and create such a tool for the defense of our rights,” stated Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women
Kahnawake, March 7, 2025 – Quebec Native Women (QNW) is proud to announce the launch of an ambitious and transformative initiative aimed at recognizing and promoting the individual and collective rights of Indigenous women and girls: the creation and implementation of a Charter for Equality Between First Nations Women and Men.
The Charter for Equality Between First Nations Women and Men is addressed to First Nations women, girls, men, and boys, engaging a wide range of institutions and sectors to ensure its sustainable and effective implementation. It aims to guarantee equal rights, opportunities, and access to public services for First Nations women and girls while valuing and respecting their cultures, languages, and traditional knowledge.
The Charter’s objective is to promote and protect the individual and collective rights of First Nations women and girls; create safe environments; strengthen their leadership, governance, and autonomy; foster fair and horizontal collaboration; develop just and appropriate solutions; and eliminate systemic barriers. The Charter consists of nine articles, each designed to ensure equal rights and opportunities for First Nations women and girls.
The ultimate goal of this initiative is to develop solutions for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as well as General Recommendation No. 39 on the rights of Indigenous women and girls from the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the national, provincial, and community levels. General Recommendation No. 39, entirely drafted by Indigenous women and girls, holds particular significance as it complements UNDRIP and is exclusively dedicated to the rights of Indigenous women and girls.
“This Charter represents a historic milestone for the rights of First Nations women and girls. It is the result of discussions held over the past years, during nation-wide consultations and at the Great Summit of May 2024. Years of resilience, collaboration, and courage from women have allowed us to envision and create such a tool for the defense of our rights,” stated Marjolaine Étienne, President of Quebec Native Women.
To strengthen this commitment, QNW will host a symposium titled “Weaving Stories of Change for the Individual and Collective Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls”, taking place March 20-21,
2025, at the Hilton Hotel in Quebec City. This symposium will mark the presentation of the first draft of the Charter for Equality Between First Nations Women and Men.
The event will bring together Indigenous women, Indigenous rights experts, representatives of various organizations, and community members. Together, they will discuss current challenges and opportunities related to the recognition and implementation of the individual and collective rights of Indigenous women and girls, as enshrined in UNDRIP and General Recommendation No. 39, with the Charter for Equality now serving as their guarantor.
