December 6: Ending violence against women
December 6 marks the anniversary of the Montréal massacre of 14 young women at the École Polytechnique.
Violence against women continues to be a serious issue in Canada:
• An estimated 60% of Canadian women have suffered from physical or psychological violence at some time in their lives.
• In 2007, nearly 40,200 incidents of spousal violence were reported to police. This represents 12% of all police-reported violent crime in Canada.
• Between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008, approximately 101,000 women and children were admitted to 569 shelters in Canada.
As health science and community social service professionals, many of us see the effects of violence against women every day.
We are the sonographers, X-ray, MRI and CT techs taking medical images of ruptured organs and broken bones.
We are the social workers counselling the women as they are admitted in the emergency room.
We are the rehabilitation therapists working with the women as they recover from their injuries.
We are the community workers who see women struggling to hold their families together as they try to cope with the violence in their homes.
And we are the transition house workers who help give shelter, counselling, and comfort to women and children as they flee dangerous domestic situations.
Anne Davis, Chair of HSAs new Womens Committee, is asking for your help in raising awareness of December 6 at your facility. -Occupational Health & Safety Stewards across BC will be distributing December 6 awareness stickers," she said. -Please watch for a postcard display & poster on the union bulletin board at your facility."
Davis also encourages members to take part in vigils and ceremonies to reaffirm our commitment to ending violence against women.
If you know of an event in your community that is not listed below, please contact Yukie Kurahashi at @email. Check HSAs website at www.hsabc.org for updates to this schedule of events.
December 3, 2011
Event: Annual -Shoe Memorial" of empty womens shoes; a card inside each one provides information about a woman who has died as a result of male violence against women
Place: Plaza in front of Comox Valley Art Gallery, Comox
Time: 10am-4pm
December 6, 2011
Event: BC Federation of Labour Womens Breakfast
Place: Burnaby Firefighters Club, 6515 Bonsor Ave, Burnaby
Time: 7:30am-9am
Info: 604.430.1421
Event: Candlelight vigil
Place: Lawn of Courtenay Court House
Time: 7pm
Event: Candlelight vigil
Place: Grounds of BC Legislature, Victoria
Time: 5pm-6pm
Please bring: donation item to local womens organizations
Event: Candlelight vigil
Place: Holland Park, Surrey
Time: 6:30-8pm
Please bring: donation item for local womens organizations
Event: Candlelight vigil
Place: Centre for Excellent, OUC Penticton Campus, Penticton
Time: 3pm-8pm
Please bring: winter clothing, toiletry items, childrens games
Event: Shoe Memorial
Place: St. Andrew on the Square, 159 Seymour Street, Kamloops
Time: 10am-2pm
Event: Candlelight Walk
Place: Springvalley Elementary to Mindy Tran Memorial
Time: 6:30pm-8pm
Event: Self-defence workshop
Place: Sundance Martial Arts, 2905A 43rd Ave, Vernon
Time: 5pm
Event: Candlelight vigil
Place: CAW Union Hall, 326 12th Street, New Westminster
Time: 7pm
Event: Public education & outreach by Women Against Violence Against Women
Place: North side of Vancouver Art Gallery facing Georgia Street
Time: 11am-1pm
Event: Honouring ceremony for Metis women
Place: Aboriginal Friendship Centre, 1607 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Time: 2pm-5pm
Event: Commemoration, presentations from violence prevention programs, & open floor discussion
Place: Trail United Church Hall
Time: 5:30pm
December 8, 2011
Event: Breakfast to Celebrate Activism Against Gender Violence
Place: Segal School of Business, 500 Granville
Time: 7am to 9am
Info: 778.782.3593 to buy tickets