Introduction
Even though modern society tends to think that all people are equal and free today, the situation in some regions, like Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Canada, proves the worst things. The Canadian government has already made several attempts to improve the status of Aboriginal women, but discrimination is still a problem in the country. As a result, multiple disappearances of indigenous women from the Downtown Eastside had no formal investigation and were explained as the outcomes of the chosen risky lifestyle. The inability to investigate disappearance cases is not only a legal problem but a social one, rooted in prejudiced blames and gender-related inequalities in Canada.
Main body
One of the main questions that bother many people around the whole world is the identification of the conditions under which the citizens of the Downtown Eastside disappeared. No formal investigations were conducted because of several reasons, including the absence of a definite suspect and the characteristics of victims (indigenous women in the sex trade). In my opinion, the Canadian police, as well as the major part of Canadians, did not find it necessary to break the already established norms and attitudes and build their opinions. Gender discrimination has deeply rooted in the style of life of the region under analysis, and people are not bothered with the necessity to change something and discover some new perspectives of the case.
The styles of life and the choices made by indigenous women are defined as excuses for their missing. Instead of providing new opportunities to improve the quality of life, the government and the police neglect evident problems and misunderstand their roles in society. I consider such an attitude as one of the worst examples of how power can be used. The years of discrimination have negatively shaped social and political spheres, which resulted in low education opportunities, childhood labor increase, and the promotion of high-risk lifestyles. Indigenous women become involved in the sex trade, not because of their desire, weakness, or mistakes. This decision turns out to be the only option for them to survive and earn a miserable living.
Taking into consideration the fact that disappearances still emerge in the Downtown Eastside, the problem of discrimination and gender inequality remains open. To improve the status of no formal investigation, it is not enough to find enough evidence on a victim and choose a suspect. I believe that significant social and political changes are required. It is critical for the police to stay unbiased and evaluate every missing person not as a woman but as a citizen of the country with his or her rights to justice and protection. It is easy to blame women for their misfortune and explain their disappearance and deaths due to drug overdose, disputes, or suicides. However, it is high time to recognize that such bad luck is the responsibility of the government and society.
Conclusion
Gender discrimination and social inequality are common problems for the citizens of the Downtown Eastside. When an indigenous woman is missing and murdered, her lifestyle or misfortune can be mentioned as the main reason for death. The police or governmental actions can hardly be defined as right or wrong because of the already existing attitudes and norms. Therefore, instead of searching for a person or an organization to blame for what is happening in the country, one should think about the steps to be taken to change the situation. I think that Canada has enough chances to eradicate injustice and create equal living conditions for all the citizens, indigenous women included.