Statement made on 08 December 2010 by Senator Lucie Pépin (retired)
Hon. Lucie Pépin:
Honourable senators, 21 years ago, 14 women were killed at École Polytechnique in Montreal. On Monday, we remembered these young students who were killed simply because they were women. Over time, December 6 has become a day for us to speak out in unison against violence against women.
Every day, Canadian women are victims of psychological, physical and sexual violence. Very often, this violence is perpetrated by someone they know. Seniors are twice as likely to be abused by a family member, as well. The rate of spousal homicide among Aboriginal women is still much too high. Hundreds of Aboriginal women and girls have disappeared and the authorities are indifferent. This double standard is disturbing in a fair and egalitarian society like ours. Immigrants are another category of women who are vulnerable to domestic violence because of their economic dependence, language barriers and limited access to resources.
Any type of violence has devastating physical, emotional and psychological consequences. Many victims will never fully recover, not to mention the children who grow up in that kind of environment.
These days, we are certainly more aware of violence against women. However, there is still work to be done to ensure that our sisters and our daughters are no longer persecuted or threatened because of their gender.
Acts of violence should not be tolerated or excused. When we work together, we can effectively combat all forms of violence in our society. Let us not forget that.