On December 6, 1989, 14 engineering students at L'École Polytechnique were singled out and murdered, solely because of their gender. This December 6th will mark the 25th anniversary of that horrific event, and although much has changed, violence against women still permeates our society.
In the coming days, Unifor will remember those murdered as a result of gender based violence, reflect on those who still experience the daily reality of violence, and recommit to taking action.
As part of our commitment to ending violence against women, Unifor is supporting two very similar awareness raising campaigns in the lead up to December 6, 2014: Shine the Light on Woman Abuse and Light the Night Against Violence. Both campaigns call for the lighting of buildings and communities across Canada with the aim of raising awareness around gender based violence.
This week, from December 1 - December 6, the Unifor National Office in Toronto, the London Regional Office, and the Unifor Family Education Centre in Port Elgin will be lit up in purple.
At Unifor's Canadian Council in Vancouver this past September, National President Jerry Dias asked all men in attendance to stand and make the following pledge:
“I swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women. This is my oath.”
United in our determination to make our locals and our communities safer places for all women and girls, we can be part of the solution.
Information from Julie White, Director, Women’s Department, Unifor
