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2023 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

December 6, 2023

Thirty-five years ago, on December 6, 1989, 14 women were murdered at Polytechnique Montréal in a violent act of misogyny that shook the country and led Parliament to designate December 6 as The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Today, we wear white ribbons in remembrance of:

  • 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 honour their memory, we must also reaffirm our commitment to eliminating the disproportionate amount violence against women, girls, LGBTQ2A+ and gender-diverse individuals experience in Saskatchewan and throughout the country.

According to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan recorded the highest rates of intimate partner and family violence among Canadian provinces last year.

In 2022:

  • Saskatchewan had 730 victims per 100,000 people for family violence
  • Saskatchewan had 732 victims per 10,0000 people for intimate partner violence
  • 5,839 females reported being victims of intimate partner violence (compared to 1,412 males)
  • 5,744 females reported being victims of family violence (compared to 2,802 males)[1]

Achieving a Saskatchewan free from gender-based violence will be no easy task. But it is necessary. Gender-based violence prevents full and equal participation in public life. If damages the mental health of women, girls, LGBTQ2A+ and gender-diverse individuals. It has a negative effect on the economy and is detrimental to society on whole.

Together, it is our collective responsibility to foster a culture of respect and inclusion in Saskatchewan, to defend women’s rights, and to end gender-based violence so that everyone feels safe and is afforded the opportunity  to reach their full potential.

We all have a responsibility to make our province, our country, and the world a better place. We must learn from our past, listen to survivors, raise awareness, and develop concrete, sustainable plans that will address and prevent violence against women and girls. It is up to us to create a society that fosters respect, inclusion, and equality for all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231121/dq231121b-eng.htm