Abused women live with the emotional, psychological and sometimes physical scars of their abuse. Except when they don’t. The danger escalates with the abuse and too often women are murdered.
Dec. 6 marks the 22nd anniversary of the murders of 14 women at L’École Polytechnique in Montréal. In response to the massacre that targeted women, Canadians have observed it as a national day of remembrance and action on violence against women.
Its relevance remains as more than 476 women and 57 children have been murdered in Ontario by their partners since 1990. More women across Canada are murdered or missing simply because they are women, particularly among Aboriginal communities.
Those numbers continue to grow and do not account for the women and children who continue to live in abusive situations. The most recent Statistics Canada annual shelter survey, which takes a snapshot of every shelter across the country, shows on April 15, 2010 there were 593 shelters in Canada, up from 569 in 2008 – due to rising demand.
On that day, 4,645 women in were residing in them and 426 more were turned away due to shelters reaching full capacity (see report at www.statcan.gc.ca). Those numbers reflect only women who have used services and not the number of abused women trapped in dangerous relationships.
Canadian communities are coming together Dec. 6 to honour those women, show support for ending violence against women and to make change.
To effectively break the cycles of woman abuse, the root causes of violence need to be addressed. Gender inequalities, poverty rates, maintaining the gun registry, access to affordable housing and childcare are directly related to an abused woman’s ability to escape violence and live free from fear and harm.
Sustainable funding for women’s anti-violence agencies is needed if they are to continue trying to break the cycle of abuse, prevent violence for girls and women (and children), and help survivors of abuse heal.
On this year’s Day of Remembrance people can show support by attending local events, by contacting an MPP to demand concrete action to end violence and by being vocal about how violence against women is intolerable.
There is a vigil Dec. 6 in Guelph at The Boathouse at 116 Gordon Street, from 6 to 8pm.
More information is available online at the Ministry for the Status of Women Canada and at www.oaith.ca.
