Women's Rights are Human Rights,
HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE: WHY WE WEAR RED
We wear red to be seen. To be heard. To demand justice.
May 5th: How It Came to Be – The Origin of National Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Relatives (MMIWG2S) and Why We Wear Red Initiative.
The establishment of May 5th as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG2S) did not emerge from a single moment, but from years of advocacy, lived experience, and persistent calls for justice from Indigenous families, Tribal Nations, and grassroots organizers.
In 2017, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester of Montana introduced a bipartisan resolution designating May 5th as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls, in response to the murder of Hanna Harris on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and the broader crisis of disappearances and violence impacting Native women nationwide.
In 2018, Native Women in Film & Television in All Media launched the #WhyWeWearRed Call to Action and media coalition, founded by Joanelle Romero, founder of the Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) dedicated for over 30 years to elevating Native voices and advancing authentic representation.
The Why We Wear Red initiative is rooted in a central belief: visibility saves lives.
“When Native women are absent from media and the broader narrative, it sends a dangerous message -that we don’t matter, that our lives are invisible. I am a survivor of sexual assault. I speak my truth so others do not remain unheard.” – Joanelle Romero
Inspired by industry solidarity movements in 2017–2018, Why We Wear Red was launched using the red handprint as a symbol of visibility and resistance for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. What began as a social media campaign quickly became a national and international movement.
Today, Why We Wear Red continues to connect media representation to human rights, advancing the principle that invisibility in storytelling contributes to invisibility in systems of justice.
May 5th now stands as both remembrance and action. The movement affirms a core truth:
Visibility is protection. Representation is justice. Storytelling is survival.
Across the United States, Native and Indigenous women face a crisis that remains largely invisible:
- On some reservations, Native women are murdered at up to 10 times the national average
- Homicide is among the leading causes of death for Indigenous women ages 10–24
- 56.1% have experienced sexual violence
- 55.5% have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner
- 48.8% have experienced stalking
In 2024, the FBI reported 10,248 missing Indigenous persons cases:
- 5,614 were women
- 4,626 were men
Most missing Indigenous women were under the age of 18 - In Hawai‘i, 64% of human trafficking victims identified as at least part Native Hawaiian
- The highest rates of missing persons cases occur in: Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, Washington, New Mexico, California, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Texas
- 95% of cases identified by the Urban Indian Health Institute received no mainstream media coverage
Due to systemic underreporting and data gaps, there is no accurate national count of how many Native women are missing or murdered each year.
Why We Wear Red (WWWR): Human Rights & Water Justice Initiative
Why We Wear Red (WWWR) is a human rights initiative led by the Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) through its Native Women in Film & Television in All Media platform. The campaign addresses the intersecting crises of violence against Native and Indigenous women and the protection of water as a fundamental human right.
Indigenous communities continue to face disproportionate rates of violence against women, alongside environmental threats that directly impact access to clean water, land, and resources. These issues are deeply interconnected. Research and lived experience demonstrate that when Indigenous women are disproportionately harmed, communities experience broader destabilization, including threats to environmental stewardship and resource protection. Conversely, when Native women are supported and centered in leadership, outcomes improve across community health, cultural preservation, and environmental protection.
WWWR utilizes media, storytelling, and advocacy to elevate awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), while advancing a unified framework that positions the safety of Native women and the protection of water as inseparable human rights priorities. Through digital campaigns, film programming, and public engagement, the initiative creates platforms for Indigenous voices and fosters cross-sector dialogue on justice, equity, and sustainability.
Project activities include the development and distribution of media content, integration into the Red Nation Television Network (RNTV), and targeted outreach to diverse audiences. These efforts expand visibility, increase public understanding, and support long-term cultural and environmental resilience.
WHY WE WEAR RED
We wear red for the missing.
We wear red for the silenced.
We wear red to bring visibility where there has been erasure.
Through media, storytelling, and advocacy, we stand for truth, accountability, and the protection of Native and Indigenous lives.
This is not just awareness. This is action.
