Manitoba moves toward designating Oct. 4 to honour MMIWG

Manitoba may soon have a day designated to honour the province's missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

On Thursday, members of the legislative assembly unanimously supported the second reading of a bill seeking to set aside Oct. 4 each year as an official day to bring attention to MMIWG.

"It's gratifying that all members of the legislative assembly representing every community in this province have supported a bill to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls," NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine, who brought forward the bill, said in a news release.

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Oct. 4 is a day when vigils have been held across the country for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls.

"By creating an official day, we will bring greater recognition of the crisis of violence against Indigenous women and girls. This is also one small step toward honouring those whose lives were tragically lost," said Fontaine.

The bill still needs to be heard at committee before it becomes law. Fontaine hopes it will belaw by this Oct. 4.

A 2014 RCMPreport estimated nearly 1,200 Indigenous women and girls have been reported missing or murdered across the country since 1980.

Late last year, the federal government launched a national inquiry to look into the high numbers. Public hearings, which will take place across the country, are scheduled to begin in May.