Tomorrow, December 6th, is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On that day, 14 women – 12 engineering students, a nursing student and a financial clerk at École Polytechnique in Montreal – were murdered by a man who was motivated by his hatred of women and feminism.
In 1991, the Government of Canada proclaimed December 6 to be the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The day falls in the middle of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, which runs from November 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to December 10 (International Human Rights Day). It’s a day to mourn the victims — whose names are read aloud at vigils across the country — and to confront the ongoing reality of gender-based violence in Canada.
This year, the Alexa McDonough Institute for Women, Gender and Social Justice (AMI) organized an event in the MSVU Art Gallery to commemorate the day and bring people together in remembrance and reflection.
The event featured a presentation by Stacey Godsoe from Be The Peace and Sarah Rodimon, Executive Director of the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, followed by a conversation about gender-based and sexualized violence. Both presenters emphasized the importance of advocacy and speaking out against gender-based violence at local, provincial, and federal levels. The event was moderated by Dr. Tammy Findlay, Professor in Politics, Economics & Canadian Studies at MSVU.
At the start of the event, the names of all those who were killed at École Polytechnique were read and a rose was placed in their honour. We remember:
Geneviève Bergeron- Hélène Colgan
- Nathalie Croteau
- Barbara Daigneault
- Anne-Marie Edward
- Maud Haviernick
- Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz
- Maryse Laganière
- Maryse Leclair
- Anne-Marie Lemay
- Sonia Pelletier
- Michèle Richard
- Annie St-Arneault
- Annie Turcotte
Here are a few things you can do on December 6 to honour these victims:
- Wear a white ribbon.
- Observe a moment of silence at 11 a.m.
- Attend a vigil in your community.
- Learn how to get involved with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
- Share the ways you are being part of the solution to end gender-based violence. Use the hashtag #16Days.