by Jacqueline D'Souza
This morning as I awoke, I remembered that it was a day of significance. But what is significant about this day I asked myself. I then realized that today is Canada's National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women. On this day 22 years ago, a crazed gunman entered L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal and segregated the female students from the males. The young women were then brutally gunned down and, in an instant, lost their lives. On that day, 14 precious lives were lost but their loss has not been forgotten. The event has become known as the Montreal Massacre and is symbolic of the fight to end violence against women.
Canada’s Parliament declared December 6th a National Day of Mourning and the National Day to End Violence Against Women in 1991. Violence towards women in Canada is still far more prevalent than imaginable. It is estimated that 60% of Canadian women have suffered from physical or psychological violence at some time in their life – equating to more than ½ of the entire female population. This number on a prima facie level may seem high but the reality is that it doesn’t take much to see the ugly face of violence towards women.
My eyes, like that of so many others have seen the ugly face of violence towards women far too many times. I remember walking into the local supermarket and seeing a battered women shop for groceries on a weekly basis – wearing dark sunglasses to cover her bruised face. She would smile at me and I would smile back. As I smiled I could not help but ask myself how is it that this woman could find the strength to smile? It was clear to me that she was struggling – struggling with an issue that so many women struggle with – violence towards women. Today, I will be remembering all of those women who are subjected to violence and the great challenges they face everyday. I hope to be able to reach out my hand and heart to a woman in need and I hope others do as well.
Comments
Post new comment