What is ICWA doing to help?

Our mission at the ICWA is to protect women of all ethnic, religious, and cultural origins from practices that place them in harm’s way. In 2011, the ICWA launched a project funded by the Status of Women called… that aims to bring an end to harmful cultural practices that hurt women and girls. Through this project, the ICWA is mobilizing the community, particularly women towards a zero-tolerance attitude for honor-based violence, becoming active agents of change and making the case for stricter enforcement of criminal law. This project also aims to empower girls and women vulnerable to honor-based violence. As stated by the Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose, “All Canadian girls and women under the law, have to right to live free from violence and abuse… This type of violence, often known as ‘honour killings’ is a heinous abuse of power and human rights”.

1. Gill, Aisha. Honor killings and the quest for justice in black and minority ethnic communities in the UK and moving toward a “multiculturalism without culture”: constructing a victim-friendly human rights approach to forced marriage in the UK
2. Coomaraswamy, Radhika. UN. Violence Against Women. Web.
3. “Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls.” UN Backgrounder, Web. 21 Aug 2011.
4. “Culturally Motivated Violence Against Women” Fact Sheet. Edmonton Social Planning Council, Web 27 July 2012.
5. Hopper, Tristan. Murders spark fears of honor killings. National Post. Web. 19 Aug 2011. Learn more
6. UNFPA; State of the World’s Population 2000. Learn more