Friday is International Women’s Day. It’s a day to celebrate the powerful females in our society, but according to The Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, it’s also an important day to reflect where progress still needs to be made.

“International Women’s Day is a very important day of the year because it highlights the challenges women face in Canada and internationally,” said the SHRC’s chief commissioner, David Arnot.

This year, the SHRC joined forces with the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations and Metis Nation Saskatchewan to call for a federal action plan to address the issue of violence against aboriginal women and girls.

Aboriginal women are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violence than non-aboriginal women, and Regina has the highest numbers in Canada for sexual assault against women.

“In the Saskatchewan context it’s apparently that violence against aboriginal women are driving the statistics,” Arnot said.

Violence against aboriginal women goes beyond abuse. According to a report by the Native Women’s Association of Canada, an alarming number or aboriginal women have gone missing or found murdered. Aboriginal women make up four per cent of Canada’s total population, but in 2011 they accounted for eight per cent of all murdered women 15 and older.

While the numbers are shocking, Arnot said the issue isn’t new. “I do believe there is quite a big of dialogue on these issues, but there’s the problem – there isn’t any action. It’s time to have a national inquiry and make a federal action plan.”

FSIN vice-chief Kimberly Jonathan said that the time to start an inquiry was yesterday. As a survivor of abuse herself, the day’s message is especially close to Jonathan. “I don’t use that to be a victim or to gain pity, but I believe as a leader I have a responsibility to put a voice to that,” she said.

And Jonathan is using her voice to call for a national public commission of inquiry to do a deep investigation into the routes of the accelerated violence against women.

For Jonathan, the key to a successful process is ensuring that aboriginal woman are not only heard in the inquiry, but included as part of the entire process.

As for a deadline, she was blunt.

“We’d like to have it yesterday.”