A walk to end gender-based violence

December 1, 2022 - Mandy Suen

Close-up of person holding purple ribbon to camera, UVic campus in background — Join us on Dec. 6 as UVic marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. (Credit: Photo Services)

Students, employees and community members are invited to join UVic in a Walk to End Gender-Based Violence on Dec. 6. The walk will start at 11:30 a.m. at the fountain outside the UVic library and will end at the Engineering Lab Wing.

Three decades for annual day of remembrance

Person walking with purple umbrella under tree-lined avenue in autumn on UVic campus. — Flags will be lowered across campus on Dec. 6 to mark the national day of remembrance and action. (Credit: Photo Services)

This reflective walk is part of the annual National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. UVic acknowledges violence against women continues to persist, and the walk affirms our commitment to resist and bring an end to all gender-based violence on campus and in our community. This includes violence against murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls; violence against 2SLGBTQIA+, non-binary and gender diverse people; violence against sex workers; as well as other forms of violence that intersect with race, sex, gender, socio-economic status and ability, among other factors.

We reflect and acknowledge, through the remembrance events of this day, on the role that post-secondary institutions have in continuing to uphold and reproduce patriarchal and colonial systems.

Purple ribbon pinned to blue-jean lapel. — The Purple Ribbon campaign began Nov. 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, runs through Dec. 6 and ends on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, encompassing 16 days of activism. (Credit: Photo Services)

Through commemorating and remembering this tragedy, we are reminded that we still have much work to do to end gender-based violence. I encourage everyone who is able to join in the reflective walk to do so and demonstrate our shared commitment to collective action and systemic change.

—Executive Director of Equity and Human Rights Cassbreea Dewis

Honouring the memories of 14 women at l’École Polytechnique

It has been more than 30 years since the murder of 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal on Dec. 6, 1989.

This act of gender-based violence shook our country and led Parliament to designate Dec. 6 as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Every year since, UVic has dedicated the last day of the academic year to hold an hour (between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.) where there are no classes so everyone can have a moment of silence to remember the lives lost and affected, and to reflect on what we can do together to stop gender-based violence.

Flags will also be lowered across campus on Dec. 6 to mark the day.

To learn more and find other ways to reflect and take action, please visit uvic.ca/ravaw.