A candlelight vigil was held in front of Nelson City Hall on Friday to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
Today, December 6, 2024, is the 35th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal, where 14 women were murdered simply because they were women.
To commemorate the day and its significance, the Nelson Violence Against Women in Relationships Committee (VAWIR) hosted a vigil and rose-laying ceremony at the cenotaph.
The theme for this year, “Come Together, Act Now,” was chosen to highlight the critical role everyone plays in preventing gender-based violence.
“Men, boys, women, and girls all have a responsibility to challenge social norms and behaviours that perpetuate gender-based violence,” said Nina Hamilton, a VAWIR member and victim services worker.
“The theme also encourages us to recognize the signs of violence and provide support wherever it’s needed.”
Hamilton emphasized the importance of reflecting on the impacts of gender-based violence, not just nationally or provincially, but also within our own communities.
“A horrific act of gender-based violence recently claimed the life of a beloved woman in a neighbouring community. This tragic loss serves as a painful reminder of why we gather today: to honour and remember the women whose lives were cut short by violence and to reaffirm our commitment to building a world where such tragedies no longer happen.”
Community members laid roses at the base of the cenotaph—one for every woman murdered in British Columbia this year, and 14 for the women killed in Montreal in 1989.
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