​Vigil set for Dec. 6 in Kincardine to remember victims of gender-based violence

To the Editor:

On Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW) Kincardine will be commemorating the 14 women who were murdered 35 years ago at Ecole-Polytechnique in Montreal, simply because they were women.

The Ecole-Polytechnique massacre is an example of the deadly impacts of gender-based violence and anti-feminist sentiments.

Gender-based violence victimizes women and girls – particularly Indigenous, rural, racialized, newcomer, 2SLGBTQQIA-plus, and disabled women and girls - and is a human rights violation that takes many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional, and cyber violence.

Perpetrators use tactics, such as harassment, stalking, assault, and emotional and economic abuse to control, coerce, and intimidate women and girls. This violence not only exerts serious harm on victims, but also has ripple effects throughout communities, especially on children who witness the violence. It also perpetuates a culture of prejudice that has significant impacts on the ability of women and girls to engage freely and equally in society.

There is a national call for gender-based and intimate-partner violence to be declared the epidemic that it is. CFUW Kincardine commends the Municipality of Kincardine in joining the growing number of Ontario municipalities in the province that have enacted this declaration. Council’s leadership in this matter not only raises awareness, but also encourages vital dialogue around prevention and support for those affected.

CFUW Kincardine is an affiliate of CFUW National, a non-partisan, self-funded organization with 94 clubs located in every province across Canada and more than 6,600 members. Since its founding in 1919, CFUW has been working to improve the status of women, and to promote human rights, public education, social justice, and peace.

We encourage members of Kincardine council and the community to join us in attending the “Violence Against Women Come and Go Vigil – A Time for Remembrance, Awareness and Action,” Friday, Dec. 6, from 7-9 p.m., in the sanctuary at Kincardine United Church.

Cheryl Taylor
President
CFUW Kincardine