This notice is from the archives of The Notice Board. Information contained in this notice was accurate at the time of publication but may no longer be so.
Canadian post-secondary institutions were forever changed on December 6, 1989, when an abhorrent act of senseless violence took the lives of 14 brilliant young women attending École Polytechnique in Montreal. Targeted because they were women, their untimely deaths stood out as a shocking example of gender-based violence. Sadly, it is something that persists in society today.
On this day, and every Dec. 6 going forward, it is imperative we continue to tell the stories of their lives that were so cruelly cut short, and that we remember their names: Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault and Annie Turcotte.
Research suggests many incidents of gender-based violence go unreported due to fear and stigma. If we can play one role in bringing an end to gender-based violence, perhaps it is reaching those victims by offering an environment that allows their voices to be heard and creates a space within which they feel safe.
As a post-secondary institution, the University of Lethbridge needs to do its part to disrupt, discuss and address gender-based violence on our campuses, and be a leader within our communities. We must work to ensure all women and girls, regardless of their gender expression or gender diversity, feel safe, respected and empowered. All women, including Indigenous women and girls, 2SLGBTQ+, gender diverse individuals, and women living with disabilities, deserve the right to health, safety, education and justice.
In memory of the 14 lives lost on December 6, 1989, and the many others who have been impacted by gender-based violence, a Lunch and Learn webinar is scheduled for 12 p.m. Tuesday and our flags will be lowered. The session, Understanding the importance of prevention of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence at University of Lethbridge, is organized by the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, and features Courtney Smith, ULethbridge’s Gender-Based and Sexual Violence Prevention Coordinator. She supports and advocates for survivors of all forms of sexual violence and organizes the institutional response and prevention initiatives to the salient issues of gender-based violence on our campus.
One such initiative ULethbridge has introduced is mandatory sexual violence prevention education training for all students. For more information on this, visit the FAQ page.
As this anniversary event can be triggering to many, please reach out if you need support and connect with the Employee Family Assistance Program (faculty and staff). For our students, please access assistance by contacting Counselling Services, the Iikaisskini Indigenous Student Centre, or connect with an Elder in Residence.
For more resources, consider the following links:
Final Report on the National Inquiry of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
https://www.un.org/en/observances/ending-violence-against-women-day
https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/take-action/16-days-of-activism
https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/16-days.html
https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/16-days/social-medi
Mike Mahon, PhD
President & Vice-Chancellor
Contact:
caroline.zentner | caroline.zentner@uleth.ca