'We Care Quilt' at U of W a new symbol of honour for MMIW

'We Care Quilt' for missing and murdered women Emad Agahi with more on the ‘We Care Quilt’, a new art display honouring MMIW at U of W.

For the tenth consecutive year, Manitobans marched on Valentine’s Day to honour missing and murdered women in the province.

This year, in partnership with the University of Winnipeg’s Institute for Women and Gender Studies, a new quilt was also unveiled.

The “We Care Quilt” is a combination of 42 different squares handcrafted into one symbol of care.

"A quilt is a blanket;something soft and warm but also something powerful with a bunch of images and a story," Erin Meagan-Schwartz said.

Meagan-Schwartz was a part of the of a team who first started a campaign in 2015, calling Winnipeggers to submit ‘We Care’ squares as a symbol of their commitment to ending violence against Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited individuals.

The Manitoba Crafts Museum & Library and the We Care Campaign also contributed to the creation of the quilt.

The finished product will remain on display permanently inside the University of Winnipeg.

“It is in a high traffic area and I think it is important that students get to see it and start a discussion,” Meagan-Schwartz added.