When we consider systemic violence and lack of access, The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering ALL who have experienced gender-based violence and those we have lost to it.
Dear Fife House community,
December 6 is designated as the The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. On this day, 32 years ago 14 young women were murdered at Polytechnique Montréal (December 6, 1989) – 14 other people were injured. This act of violent misogyny shook our country and led Parliament to designate today a day of remembrance.
On December 6, 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
As we mourn their loss and remember their lives , we reaffirm our commitment to fight the hatred that led to this tragedy, and the misogyny that still exists today. In Canada and around the world, women, girls, 2SLGBTQQIA+ (two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, plus) and gender diverse individuals face unacceptable violence and discrimination. Gender-based violence in Canada has been magnified and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been reports from police services, shelters, and local organization of an increase in calls related to gender-based violence across Canada during the pandemic.
The intersection of gender-based violence, which includes transgender and gender-non-conforming/gender diverse people, and HIV is an important one to consider, today and every day, especially as the rate of HIV transmission for women in Canada is increasing – especially for Black, Indigenous, racialized, poor, and disabled women. While all women are potentially at risk for HIV infection, women who belong to socially and economically marginalized populations face a number of inter-connecting determinants of health such as racism, (un)employment, homelessness, stigma and poverty, which adversely impact their risk for HIV infection and their experiences accessing diagnosis, care, treatment and support. For example, Aboriginal women, who represent about 4% of the Canadian female population, accounted for 45% of positive HIV tests among women and Black women, who represent a little more than 2% of women in Canada, accounted for about 20% of all positive tests among women (2007). A report published in 2010 estimated that 7.9% of the female population in federal prisons was HIV positive. Young women aged between 15 and 19 represented 57% of test reports for this age group (2009). Because of pervasive transphobia, trans people are at high risk of becoming infected with HIV. This being the case, trans people are seldom included in research and policy work, and they face significant barriers when it comes to accessing trans-friendly prevention, health and social support services. (Source: Women and HIV in Canada – Canadian AIDS Society (cdnaids.ca) – there are more recent statistics but this paints a pretty clear picture as not much has changed in the past decade or more)
When we consider systemic violence and lack of access, The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is about remembering ALL who have experienced gender-based violence and those we have lost to it.
It is also a time to take action. Achieving a society free from gender-based violence requires everyone to educate themselves and their families and communities on gender-based violence, centre the voices of survivors in our actions and speak up against violence.
In solidarity, always.
Nadine Sookermany
Executive Director
