Mourn first; take action second

On Dec. 6, 1989, Marc Lepine stormed into Montréal's École Polytechnique, opened fire and killed 14 female engineering students with the cry, "J'ha's les féministes [I hate feminists]".

From that tragic moment, the day has gone down in Canadian history as the Montreal Massacre. Every Dec. 6, the country commemorates the lives of those 14 women and reflects on violence against women with Canada's National Day of Remembrance on Violence, established by the Canadian Parliament in 1991.

For Brock, the horrific event became the impetus for the creation of the Women's Studies program.

A free event will be held on Dec. 2 from 12-1 p.m. in the Rita Welch Meditation Centre to reflect on victims of violence and to discuss taking action to prevent further violence.

Anna Lathrop, Dean, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Tom Dunk, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Carmen Teeple Hopkins from the "No More Silence" campaign will all be speaking at the event.

Hopkins will be giving a presentation to highlight the particular vulnerability of Aboriginal women to violence. The "No More Silence" campaign involves the efforts of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women working together and challenging violence against Aboriginal women.

"Aboriginal women are more vulnerable to violence than any other group in Canadian society," said Dr. Margot Francis, Assistant Professor in Women's Studies and Sociology. "[It is] an issue that Amnesty International has made a focus [in] one of their reports."

Statistics Canada 2005 states that in 2003, Aboriginal people were three times more likely to be victims of spousal violence than those who are non-Aboriginal. Fifty-four per cent of Aboriginal women reported experiencing severe and potentially life-threatening violence compared to 37 per cent of non-Aboriginal women.

Lathrop plans on reflecting on the implications of gendered violence and encouraging faculty, students and staff to become more engaged in pro-active initiatives on campus.

"The importance of the Montreal Massacre for Canadians, and for our university campus, is that this event caught the attention of the nation," said Lathrop. "It provides us with the opportunity to first mourn, and then work for change."

Dunk will focus on the fact that gendered violence continues to be an issue, which is not just a women's issue. He will also touch on the connection between a declining economy and violence.

"In the last two decades [.] a significant portion of the population has experienced stagnant or declining incomes," said Dunk. "Economic restructuring is never just an economic phenomenon and the tensions often play out inside domestic settings [.] Women and children usually bear the brunt of this."

Baskets containing purple or white ribbons are available until Dec. 6 in several places around the campus, and everyone is encouraged to wear a ribbon to support the prevention of violence against women. White ribbons are a way for men to show their support, and purple ribbons are for women.

For more information about the White/Purple Ribbon Campaign, please visit brocku.ca/humanrights.

For more information about Canada's National Day of Remembrance on Violence Against Women, please visit whiteribbon.com or swc-cfc.gc.ca/newsroom/news2006/1206_e.html

For general information on violence against women, please consult the fact sheets available at octevaw-cocvff.ca/files/Fact_Sheets.pdf