CUPE Nova Scotia and the CUPE Nova Scotia Women’s Committee is marking December 6, the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, by calling on CUPE members, and all Nova Scotians, to stand up and fight for change.
This year, December 6 marks the 31st anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechique Massacre when 14 women were murdered because of their gender. One of the women, Maryse Laganière, was a CUPE member working at the engineering school.
Gender based violence has long been at catastrophic proportions in Canada and around the world. The statistics are appalling. Over 50 per cent of women have experienced sexual harassment at work; more than one third of women have experienced intimate partner violence; and every six days in Canada a woman is killed by her intimate partner.
Gender based violence continues to be a serious issue. In fact, the current pandemic has made the situation worse for those experiencing violence in their homes. It has also made it more difficult to get help.
You can make a difference. CUPE Nova Scotia and the CUPE NS Women’s Committee call on everyone to take action in the following ways:
- Wear purple on December 6 to ensure that these 14 women will never be forgotten
- Speak out against gender-based violence whenever you encounter it
- Lobby your MLA to increase funding for women’s and emergency shelters and for education and awareness initiatives
- Add your voice at donewaiting.ca. Join the campaign to end wage discrimination, sexual harassment and violence, and fix the child care crisis.
- Support the call for a National Action Plan on Violence against Women and Gender-based Violence
Together, we can make the world a safer place for women.