Red Dress Day in Canada is observed on May 5 to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S). It is a day of remembrance, awareness, and solidarity with Indigenous families and communities affected by ongoing violence and loss.
The day’s powerful symbol—the empty red dress—originated from the REDress Project created in 2010 by Métis artist Jaime Black. She began hanging red dresses in public spaces as art installations to represent the absence of Indigenous women who have been taken or are missing. The striking visual quickly grew into a national movement, with the red dress becoming a widely recognized symbol of grief, visibility, and resistance.
Today, Red Dress Day is marked across Canada with vigils, marches, and educational events that honour those who are missing or murdered, while also calling for awareness, accountability, and meaningful change.
