I remember vividly where I was December 6th, 1989 when I heard the staggering news of the deaths of 14 young women in Montreal. They were killed because they were women. This tragedy sparked outrage across the country and is appropriately called the Montreal Massacre.
We have mourned their deaths all these years and continue to do so. December 6th, while a day to grieve, is also a day to take stock, take action and take courage from one another. It is a day to join voices and forces, to collectively declare that we won't accept the existence of violence against women and children in our society.
We envision safe, healthy communities where women are not exposed to violence or the threat of violence. We also envision a day when all women and girls will live in peace, not filled with a sense of fear, shame or helplessness, but of their own enormous possibilities.
We all have a part to play in this very important battle and it is only by working together that we will be able to combat the threat of violence that restricts the actions of so many women in our communities, our Island and beyond. Everyone can do their part. There are some concrete things we each can do to end violence against women:
Educate yourself, your friends and your family about this issue
Learn to recognize the early warning signs of violence. Abuse can be emotional, verbal, sexual, mental or physical.
Send out a clear message to all that violence is never justifiable
Be aware of the services available in your community
Volunteer time or money to local organizations that work on the issue
Get involved in a local anti-violence campaign
Please join me in a moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. on December 6th to remember the 14 women in Montreal and every women who dies needlessly as a victim of violence. Memorial services will be held in Charlottetown at the UPEI Chapel and in Summerside at the Presbyterian Church, Victoria Road on Monday, December 6th at noon so that no woman and her loss will be forgotten.
Thank you,
Patricia Roy-Ballem, PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women