LCS Acknowledges the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. To honour this day, members of our student-led Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion club and our Safe Space club shared information and stories about gender-based violence in chapel. Their presentation covered various aspects of this form of violence and it initiated important conversations amongst their peers. 

Esme ’23 and Sadie ’23 shared that the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women originated from the École Polytechnique massacre that took place in 1986. “We recognize this day not only to mourn the 14 young women who lost their lives 35 years ago today but mourn all women affected by gender-based violence.”

Rori ’22 explained that, “Gender-based violence is violence that is committed against someone based on their gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender.” When speaking about the ubiquity of this type of violence across genders and sexes, Rori shared, “This has been an ongoing issue for girls and women, but we would also like to acknowledge the transgender community as they have also been victims of this type of violence. The statistics of violence endured to them in public, online and at work are actually higher than cisgender people. It is important that we acknowledge that the transgender community is a minority that suffers from the same violence as cisgender people.”

Esme ’23 and Sadie ’22 explained that, “This day of recognition and remembrance is the largest movement of men and boys working to end gender-based violence. In honour of this, our students and staff are wearing white ribbons to represent their pledge to ‘never commit, condone or remain silent about all forms of gender-based violence and discrimination.’” 

Sarah ’22 said, “Educating ourselves is not where efforts end. What is important to focus on today is the strategies we can implement in our school to support all the women in our community and beyond. Listening and believing survivors and their stories, starting conversations, understanding and practicing consent, learning the signs of abuse and how you can act on it, educating yourself and others are some of the way to create actionable change that supports women's organizations relating to gender-based violence. This is a long list of actions that cannot possibly be condensed down to 50 minutes. And so, we decided to start our efforts by listening to stories.”

Ella ’22 explained how learning through the sharing of stories can help those wishing to be involved with the movement to gain insight and perspective. “It is so important to listen to stories about gender-based violence such as the Montreal Massacre and those affected so that we can acknowledge the harm done and make room for change. Having this sense of awareness allows us to empathize with any individuals who have been affected and make them feel safe. We must learn and acknowledge the truth of their stories so that we can move towards an end to gender-based violence. As Sarah mentioned, gender-based violence is a global issue that affects women all around the world and educating and making a pledge is an amazing way to contribute to solving this problem.”