NDP statement on the national day of remembrance and action on violence against women

New Democrat Status of Women critic Sheila Malcolmson (Nanaimo—Ladysmith) made the following statement on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women:

“December 6th marks the 27th anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre, when 14 women were murdered, and others were injured, simply because they were women.

Today, we honour the memory of these women and we repeat our commitment to ending the persistent and disproportionate violence against women and girls in Canada.

In Canada and around the world, violence against women is unacceptably prevalent. Approximately every six days, a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. Over half of Canadian women will experience violence at some point in their lives, and thousands of Indigenous women in Canada have been murdered or gone missing over the past 30 years.

New Democrats are holding the Liberal government to their promise of a national action plan to fight gender-based violence and demanding justice for Indigenous women who have gone missing from our communities. We are also calling on the government to adequately invest in Canada’s network of shelters and transitional and supportive housing for women who are fleeing violence.

As we remember this tragic day in our nation’s history, we recommit to building a Canada where women and girls can live without fear of violence.”