Shuswap residents paused to honour murdered and missing women, and reaffirm their commitment to bring an end to gender-based violence.
On the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Wednesday, Dec. 6), people gathered at Okanagan College鈥檚 Salmon Arm campus to honour the 14 women who were killed that day in 1989 by shooter Marc L茅pine at 脡cole Polytechnique in Montreal.
The occasion was also used to honour Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). A national MMIWG inquiry found 鈥減ersistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses鈥� to be the root cause behind Canada鈥檚 鈥渟taggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.鈥�
鈥淒espite their different circumstances and backgrounds, all of the missing and murdered are connected by economic, social and political marginalization, racism and misogyny woven into the fabric of Canadian society,鈥� explained Chief Commissioner Marion Buller in a June 2019 media release.
In a Dec. 6, 2023 statement, on how for many women, girls and gender-diverse people in Canada and around the world, the violent misogyny that led to the tragedy at 脡cole Polytechnique still exists.
鈥淭he risk of violence is even higher for Indigenous women and girls, racialized women, women living in rural and remote areas, people in 2SLGBTQI+ communities and women with disabilities,鈥� said Trudeau. 鈥淭hat is why we have and continue to strengthen our laws and ensure supports for victims and survivors of gender-based violence.鈥�
As part of the Day of Remembrance gathering at the college, a candlelight vigil was held during which 14 roses, initially displayed by the names of the women killed in the 脡cole Polytechnique shooting 鈥� Genevi猫ve Bergeron, H茅l猫ne Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Lagani猫re, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Mich猫le Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz 鈥� were carried outside and placed in the pond.
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