National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
Genre Violence against women
Date(s) December 6
Frequency Annually
Location(s) Canada
Years active 25
Inaugurated 1991 by the Parliament of Canada[1]
Organized by Parliament of Canada
Website
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women at Status of Women Canada

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, also known informally as White Ribbon Day, is a day commemorated in Canada each December 6, the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, in which armed student Marc Lépine murdered fourteen women and injured ten others in the name of "fighting feminism".[2] The commemoration date was established by the Parliament of Canada in 1991.[1] The legislation was introduced in the House of Commons as a private member's bill by Dawn Black, Member of Parliament for New Westminster-Burnaby, British Columbia, and received all-party support.

Canadian flags on all federal buildings – including the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario – are flown at half-mast on December 6. Canadians are encouraged to observe a minute of silence on December 6 and to wear a white ribbon (or a purple ribbon) as a commitment to end violence against women.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Staff (undated) "The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence". Status of Women Canada. Retrieved December 6, 2011. "December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. They died because they were women at the hands of Marc Lépine, a troubled young man who blamed his failures in life on women."
  2. ↑ Sourour, Teresa K. "Report of Coroner's Investigation" (PDF). Retrieved 13 July 2014.

External links


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