Gladys Radek is a proud grandmother of 5. She is originally from the Gitxsan Wet su wit en’ territory in northern British Columbia. Gladys graduated from the Native Education Center. She lead a human rights case against a company who were systemically removing the vulnerable, poor, disabled and First Nations people and succeeded in changing the policy for security guards throughout the province to implement a human rights module in the training packages before they become security guards. She also set a precedent for highest payout for injury to dignity at $15,000.00, in July 2005.

Shortly after this a tragedy happened, her niece, Tamara Lynn Chipman, a young mother of one, disappeared out of Prince Rupert, BC. Gladys launched public awareness by collecting data from other family members who have lost their loved ones. She co-founded the Walk4Justice in 2008. The W4J is a grassroots organization with many volunteers and it relies on donations to raise awareness nationwide. W4J brings forward the issues surrounding the far too many missing and murdered women - issues like poverty, homelessness, addictions, prostitution and most of all domestic violence. So far W4J has completed four walks and prior to that she did the Highway of Tears Walk (2006): the first was from Vancouver, BC to Ottawa, Ontario (2008); the second walk was from Vancouver, BC to Prince Rupert, BC (2009); the third was from Kamloops, BC to Winnipeg, Manitoba (2010) and the fourth was again, from Vancouver, BC to Ottawa, Ontario (2011). One of W4J’s successes is bringing so much attention to the issues of missing and murdered women in BC that the BC government launched a public inquiry into the missing and murdered women from the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and the Highway of Tears in northern BC. W4J has succeeded in carrying the voices of the families towards justice.

Recently, Gladys made it to the top ten for the Champions of Change, a contest to honour volunteerism in Canada on CBC TV, January 2011. She won $10,000.00 that went towards the W4J’s fourth walk from Vancouver, BC to Ottawa, Ontario in the summer of 2011. Their message was to launch a national public inquiry and also a National Missing and Murdered women’s Symposium for 2011 in Vancouver, BC. W4J believes that a National Missing and Murdered Women’s Public Inquiry must evaluate and promote the societal and social structures needed to provide safety and wellness for our future generations. Gladys spends 365 days a year advocating and networking with family members to promote social change. Every day she prays for Justice for all the families. She hopes that someday there will be no more Violence Against Women and Children and that they get the respect and dignity they deserve as the life givers of ALL society. Justice, closure, equality and accountability are needed for a sustainable society.