The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women

December 6, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the murder of 14 women at the l’École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1989. Following this event, Canada established December 6th as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, a day to reflect and take action against gender-based violence. 

This year the SFU community is recognizing the significance of this day of remembrance and action in a number of ways.

Wear a button
You are invited to wear a button to support the elimination of gender-based violence. To get a postcard and button please reach out to the Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office by email (rowe@sfu.ca) or stop by the Burnaby Office, Diamond Alumni Center 014 (lower level) to pick one up.

December 6 Memorial Service
Let’s stand together against gender-based violence. Join Women in Engineering, the Women’s Centre and the Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office for a vigil and a memorial outside of the Women’s Centre at 12 p.m. on December 6^th 2019.

Schedule: 
12:00 p.m. - Meeting outside of the SFSS Women’s Centre, room TC3013, to walk to the memorial bench

12:10 p.m. - The walk starts towards the Applied Science Building Memorial Bench

12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Opening of the vigil with Elder Syexwaliya, words by Women in Engineering, the Women’s Centre, Academic Women, Human Rights Office, and the Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Office.                   

1:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - Read the names of the fourteen women who lost their life at the event, a moment of silence, flowers and candles, and closing by Women in Engineering.

Link to Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2490418091012899/                         

We remember December 6, 1989
On December 6^th 1989 a man walked into an Engineering class at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. After separating the men from the women, he proclaimed that he hated feminists and shot 14 women in the class and beyond solely because they were women.

Following these events the Canadian government designated December 6^th as the National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women. This day is the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre and reminds us of the importance of working against gender-based violence in our communities, in Canada and around the world. This is a day of action and prompts us to take steps to end gender-based violence.

We remember 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 and the countless others impacted by gender-based violence.

Partnership between the SFSS Women’s Centre, SFU’s Women in Engineering (WiE) and SFU’s Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office.