The following is an excerpt of the Status of Women newsletter. You can read the entire edition here.
December 6, 2021 marks the 32nd anniversary of the 1989 massacre of 14 women
at the École-Polytechnique in Montreal. 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 and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz were
the targeted victims of a raging misogynist simply because they identified
as women.
As Canadians, we often pretend that gender-based violence is not an issue in our
country, our province or our community. We are slow to call it out and identify it for
what it really is: a hate crime. The 1989 attack in Montreal is not our first case of
gender-based violence, and it certainly is not the last.
Throughout the last 18 months or so, a shadow pandemic of violence against
women has unfolded, with instances of domestic abuse and gender-based violence
soaring. This is no surprise given that women have borne the brunt of the economic
and social repercussions of COVID-19. Stuck isolating at home, often tasked with
being the unpaid caregivers of children and elderly parents, women have been
trapped with little or no access to resources and supports.
So where do we go from here? If there is a silver lining to living through a global
pandemic, it is that the inequities that exist in Canadian society have been placed
under a giant microscope. Our news feeds have been flooded with stories recognizing
the value of essential workers, the need for a living wage and affordable housing,
the importance of universal childcare and the necessity of investing in the care
economy—all of which are essential if we are to eradicate violence against women.
This intense scrutiny has created ideal conditions to advocate for real, sustained
change. On December 6, as part of our 16 days of action, I urge everyone to call
their local MP and ask what they are willing to do to help eradicate gender-based
violence and improve the lives of all Ontarian women. Talk to friends and co-workers
about why we need to pressure the government to invest more money and resources
into social programs and policies that benefit women. Write to newspapers
expressing that the time to end violence against women is NOW. With COVID-19
lessoning its grip and an upcoming provincial election, it is the perfect moment to
push hard for lasting changes. Let’s honour the victims of the Montreal massacre
and all the other Canadian women affected by gender-based violence by fighting for
a safe and equitable post-pandemic world.
—Sarah McLaren, District 4, Near North and provincial Status of Women Committee member
