NEWS RELEASE
CFUW ORILLIA
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Wednesday, Dec. 6, in Canada, is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Many met in front of the Orillia Opera House on Wednesday, wearing purple to raise awareness of gender-based violence. This acknowledgement of Dec. 6 was organized by CFUW Orillia and was also attended by representatives of Biminaawzogin Regional Aboriginal Women’s Circle, Green Haven and Lakehead University.
Dec. 6 in 1989, in Montreal, a horrific act of violence took the lives of 14 female engineering students at École Polytechnique. The violent act occurred because they were women.
A candle was lit to represent each of the women who died that day. We remembered Genevieve Bergeron, Helene Colgan, Nathalee Croteau, Barbara Daigeneaut, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Lagniere, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michele Richard, Annie St. Arneault, and Annie Turcotte.
A 15th candle was lit to represent all of the missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. It is estimated that as many as 4,000 Indigenous women and girls have been murdered or remain missing over the past 30 years. The REDress Project visually reminds us of the staggering number of women who are no longer with us.
The 16th candle was lit to represent all other victims of gender-based violence including the children of these relationships who are also at risk.
Orillia has not been immune to intimate partner violence. CFUW Orillia urges you to write to your mayor and council in Orillia, Ramara, Oro-Medonte and Severn townships asking them to declare, in their areas, gender-based and intimate partner violence an epidemic.
The vigil was a moving, significant, reflective time to remember all impacted by gender-based violence.
CFUW Orillia is a local women’s organization who welcome all women who share our core beliefs of education, advocacy, social justice, and equality. Recognizing Dec. 6 is an important part of CFUW Orillia’s work.
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