Wednesday December 6, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated 6:40 pm]
by Mary P Brooke, Editor | Island Social Trends
It has been 34 years since the murder of 14 young women at École Polytechnique in Montreal.
The act of violent misogyny on December 6, 1989 shook our country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
That mass femicide, though carried out by a lone male, is seen to have grown out of a societal environment of gender inequity, misogyny, colonialism, racism and other intersecting systems of oppression. All the victims (those killed and those injured) were women students in areas of engineering and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
“More than three decades later, violence against women and girls is on the rise in Canada,” said BC Premier David Eby in a statement today. “Indigenous women and girls, racialized people, transgender and gender-diverse people, people living with disabilities and sex workers continue to be at higher risk.”
“We also recognize the many people who were harmed mentally and physically by this hate crime,” said Eby. “Such injuries can last a lifetime and we continue to keep the survivors in our thoughts.”
Premier Eby will attend a candlelight memorial this evening (5 pm on the steps of the BC Parliament Buildings) along with Kelli Paddon, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity and local MLA Grace Lore (Victoria-Beacon Hill) who is now Minister of State for Child Care. City of Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto also attended.
Patriarchy still active:
The patriarchal system still adhered to by many in Canadian culture is among the root causes of the oppression and backlash against women. But also, within that, there’s a pecking order for men against which oppressed males fight back (unfortunately often on those closest to them).
Misogyny as a viewpoint can be viewed under the broader umbrella of mental health. It stems as well from socioeconomic causes of inequity and gender roles.
Remembering the 14 murdered women:
On December 6, 2023 again we remember these women who were murdered only because they were female:
- Geneviève Bergeron
- Hélène Colgan
- Nathalie Croteau
- Barbara Daigneault
- Anne-Marie Edward
- Maud Haviernick
- Maryse Laganière
- Maryse Leclair
- Anne-Marie Lemay
- Sonia Pelletier
- Michèle Richard
- Annie St-Arneault
- Annie Turcotte
- Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz
As we mourn their loss and remember their lives, we reaffirm our commitment to fight the hatred that led to this tragedy, and the misogyny that still exists today, it is stated on the Government of Canada website about The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women:
In Canada and around the world, women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus) and gender diverse individuals face unacceptable violence and discrimination.
Gender-based violence in Canada was magnified and amplified by the isolation and economic challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were reports from police services, shelters, and local organization of an increase in calls related to gender-based violence across Canada during the pandemic.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering those who have experienced gender-based violence and those who we have lost to it. It is also a time to take action. Achieving a Canada free from gender-based violence requires everyone living in this country to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, center the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against harmful behaviours.
December 6 falls within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. Add your voice to the conversation between November 25 and December 10 and share the ways you are being part of the solution to end gender-based violence using the hashtag #16Days.
Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity:
BC’s first Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity from 2017 through 2020 was Mitzi Dean (MLA for Esquimalt-Metchosin) who is now the Minister of Children and Family Development.
Grace Lore, MLA — a dedicated anti-violence advocate, university instructor and community organizer. — was first elected in October 2020 and given the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity role right away, based on her long-time activism for addressing sexual violence in communities. Since December 2022 she has been Minister of State for Child Care.
In December 2022, Premier Eby shifted the Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity role over to Kelli Paddon, MLA (Chilliwack-Kent), during his December 7, 2022 BC cabinet shuffle.
===== ABOUT THE WRITER:
Island Social Trends Editor Mary P Brooke has founded and edited her own news publications on the west shore since 2008. Before that she created the Writing for Business and Journalism curriculum for the Western Academy of Photography in the 1990s and then the MapleLine Journalism Program (for youth) in 2010. She reported daily on the COVID pandemic during 2020-2021 and now reports with the BC Legislative Press Gallery.
Mary has been active in promoting the rights of women since her university days, where she started a women’s organization and studied sociology alongside science and community education.
Ms Brooke holds a B.Sc. (Foods and Nutrition, second major in sociology and community education), a Certificate in Public Relations, and a certificate in digital marketing. She is the mother of four grown children, running for school trustee in 2022 to encourage more parental involvement in K-12 education.
===== RELATED:
- EDITORIAL on International Women’s Day: still room to grow (March 8, 2023)
- National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (December 6, 2021)
- More evident violence against women during COVID sparks social and legislative support (November 25, 2021)
- Parliamentary secretary’s statement on Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2021)
- Editorial: Women’s Day marches awkwardly forward (March 8, 2021)
- Working against gender-based violence highlighted on Dec 6 anniversary (December 6, 2020)
- BC Green Leader remembers Montreal Massacre (December 6, 2019)