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老司机直播 marks National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women with virtual event

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Clockwise, from top left:聽Chris Yip; Alana Bailey, Jennifer Blackbird, Micah Stickel and Marisa Sterling (image courtesy of Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering)

Members from across the University of Toronto鈥檚 three campuses gathered virtually Friday to mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

On Dec. 6, 1989, a gunman entered an engineering classroom at 脡cole Polytechnique in Montreal and murdered 14 female students, injuring another 10 women and four men. The victims were targeted because of their gender. The date of the massacre has become a day of remembrance and action against gender-based violence and discrimination 鈥 and each year, the 老司机直播 community marks the day with an event at Hart House.

Friday鈥檚 tri-campus virtual memorial was led by 老司机直播鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, in partnership with Hart House.

鈥淭oday we are here to remember the past, the 14 women who died from violence,鈥 said Marisa Sterling, assistant dean and director, diversity, inclusion and professionalism at 老司机直播 Engineering.

鈥淲e are here to acknowledge how far we have come in the present, and we are here to take actions, reimagining a future without violence or aggression towards women within the intersections of many identities.鈥

While this year鈥檚 event was held online because of the pandemic, previous commemorations have involved ceremonies and events on all three 老司机直播 campus, including the laying of 14 roses 鈥 one for every woman killed. Last year, on the 30th anniversary of the massacre 老司机直播 Engineering was among 14 engineering schools from across the country to shine a beam of light 鈥痠nto the sky, from coast to coast.

In 2019, 老司机直播 Engineering joined 13 other engineering schools from across the country in shining a beam of light into the sky to mark the 30th anniversary of the tragedy (photo by Roberta Baker)

This year鈥檚 virtual ceremony included a performance by Jenny Blackbird, event co-ordinator for the Ciimaan/Kahuwe鈥檡a/Qajaq Indigenous Language Initiative Program at the Centre for Indigenous Studies.

鈥淭his a song for all of our sisters, my Indigenous sisters, my kin, and extending out to all the sisters, including transwomen and non-binary. We have a lot of violence pushed up against us,鈥 Blackbird said. 鈥淚 love you all. This is for you.鈥

Students from across the university led in reading the names of the 14 women before a moment of silence.

Professor Micah Stickel, acting vice-provost, students, also announced this year鈥檚 three recipients of the Award for Scholarly Achievement in Gender-Based Violence, in recognition of 老司机直播 students who have shown commitment on issues around gender-based violence and discrimination through research and prevention.

The recipients are:

  • Ferdinand Lopez of the Women & Gender Studies Institute
  • Rajpreet Sidhu of the department of human geography at 老司机直播 Scarborough
  • Kanishka Sikri of the Centre for Critical Development Studies at 老司机直播 Scarborough

The event culminated in a fireside chat, facilitated by Jennifer Flood and Bristy Chakrabarty of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, and featuring panelists Chris Yip, dean of 老司机直播 Engineering; Alana Bailey, president of the National Society of Black Engineers 老司机直播 Chapter; Tee Duke, assistant director, Indigenous initiatives, at 老司机直播 Mississauga鈥檚 Indigenous Centre; and, Andi Alhakim, intercultural programs assistant at 老司机直播 Mississauga鈥檚 International Education Centre.

The conversation highlighted ways in which individuals can call out and take concrete action to end violence against women. The discussions also emphasized the need to centre the narrative around protecting racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities and taking steps to prevent violence against them.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy how [violence is] happening to us, Black women, Indigenous women, the most 鈥 and yet less focus is on us,鈥 says Bailey. 鈥淧eople need to wake up and not be desensitized. This energy is what makes society look away. To centre the narrative, I think we need to create spaces where we have a voice, spaces where we won鈥檛 be shamed, ignored and looked over.鈥

The group also discussed how non-Black, Indigenous and people of color (Non-BIPOC) 老司机直播 students, staff and faculty can commit to taking actions, informed by the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

鈥淚 encourage folks to actually read the report,鈥 says Duke. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take some time. It is 1,200 pages with 231 recommendations, but it鈥檚 not that we don鈥檛 have a roadmap. It comes down to everyone having a responsibility in ending violence.鈥

Angela Treglia, director of the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, closed the event with a call to action: 鈥淭oday we reflect, we remember, but we need to respond. May we all find the courage and strength to take action and speak out against violence against women and may we continue to work for change.鈥

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