National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Memorial

Join us for the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women memorial. Together we will mourn the women killed at the L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in an act of violent misogyny on December 6, 1989, as well as those killed by men in their lives in 2021. Join us to turn our mourning into action on December 6th, 12:30 - 1:30 pm for a memorial followed by optional breakout sessions at 1:30 pm to discuss ways to support survivors on campus with your peers. Speakers include President Lachemi, Professor Megan Scribe, alumnus Serena Lalani and poet Keneisha Charles. This is part of the 16 Days of Action Against Gender-Based Violence. 

The memorial is an opportunity to reflect and renew our commitment to end patriarchal violence that manifests in men's violence against women and gender-oppressed people. In Ontario this year there has been an  (PDF file) 84% increase in femicides of women and girls  (external link) by men in their lives. This year, our focus is on supporting students who have been affected by intimate partner violence (IPV). In Canada, 44% of women, 15 years of age and older, who had ever been in an intimate partner relationship, have reported being subjected to some kind of psychological, physical, or sexual violence in the context of an intimate relationship in their lifetime (external link) . It’s important to note that these conversations are not binary, yet research and reporting on IPV often focus solely on cis communities. Trans and non-binary communities face a high rate of IPV in the forms of physical, sexual, and psychological harm which is 1.7 times higher than cisgender people.  (external link) 

IPV is a form of patriarchal violence that impacts the university community deeply. Young women, trans, two-spirit and non-binary people between the ages of 15 to 24 are the most at risk of IPV in the country. Often when we think of the issue of domestic violence we imagine an older woman with children that is either married or living with their partner. This is not always the case. Three in ten (29%) women 15 to 24 years of age reported having been subjected to intimate partner violence in the past twelve months (external link) . The rates are even higher for marginalized communities including but not limited to Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQIA, and women with disabilities. This is a campus community issue that we all must take action on. 

Established in 1991 by the Government of Canada, this annual memorial began after 14 women were tragically killed at l’École Polytechnique in Montréal on December 6, 1989. The Day of Remembrance falls in the middle of the worldwide 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which runs from November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to December 10, International Human Rights Day.

Hosted by: Consent Comes First, the Office of Sexual Violence Support and Education, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, Ryerson Student Union, Centre for Safer Sex and Sexual Violence, CESAX, Ryerson Athletics and Recreation.