(OTTAWA) – Today marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada, which was established by the Parliament of Canada to mark the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal.
“On today’s day of action, we remember those who have experienced gender-based violence, and we call on both men and women to eliminate violence against women in their communities,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands). “Too many of us know women who have been victims of gender-based violence. As the inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls is conducted, we turn our attention particularly to the estimated 4,000 women who have been victimized, and the heartbreak of their families.”
Daniel Green, Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Canada, said: “We must always remember that these young women were engineering students – a field traditionally occupied by men – and that other prominent Québec women were also targeted. It was a hard realization for our society that violence against women by men was, and still is, present and must be eliminated.”