In Canada, the resource sector employs approximately two million people and more than 900 communities rely economically on it. Resource development projects have direct impacts on communities located nearby. Part of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (the National Inquiry) focussed on the relation between resource development projects and violence against Indigenous women and girls. The National Inquiry concluded that resource development projects can “exacerbate the problem of violence against Indigenous women and girls” from non-Indigenous men as well as within Indigenous communities.^[1] The National Inquiry cited several contributing factors such as “transient workers, harassment and sexual assault in the workplace, rotational shift work, substance abuse, and addictions and economic insecurity.”^[2] The National Inquiry completed its work in 2019. Some of the 231 Calls for Justice aim to eliminate violence against Indigenous women and girls with regard to extractive and development industries (Calls for Justice 13.1 to 13.5).

The use and contamination of lands and waters by resource development companies can affect Indigenous peoples’ ability to practise and teach their culture and spirituality. It can also negatively impact their livelihoods and food security. Indigenous women and girls have a strong spiritual and cultural connection to lands and waters. Therefore, the use and contamination of the natural environment by resource development projects also constitutes violence against Indigenous communities, and specifically against Indigenous women and girls.

Many actions can help ensure that resource development projects are beneficial to all and do not negatively affect particular groups of people. Indigenous communities near resource development projects must be meaningfully consulted before their implementation. Mitigation measures to be put in place before a project starts must include actions to prevent violence against Indigenous women and girls. Resource development projects planned near Indigenous communities must seek Indigenous communities’ free, prior and informed consent. Indigenous rights must be respected. Resource development projects must undergo a socio-economic impact assessment or a culturally relevant Gender-based Analysis Plus prior to being implemented.

Resource development companies need to be accountable for the impacts that their projects have on Indigenous lands and communities. Companies must establish policies in the workplace to protect the safety and security of Indigenous women and girls. For example, they can support community safety initiatives and create safety protocols for the workplace. They also can provide employment training and adjust recruitment procedures. Furthermore, they can track the reporting of gender-based violence incidents and work to increase Indigenous women’s representation in the industry. Access to wraparound supports and services is also important to help mitigate impacts of resource development projects on Indigenous women and girls. Those services include supports for survivors of violence, housing, policing, and transportation.

In this report, the Committee makes 15 recommendations and one observation to address the issue of violence committed against Indigenous women and girls in the context of resource development projects. Those recommendations outline ways the Government of Canada can address this pressing issue.