On Dec. 6 1989, a lone gunman murdered 14 women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal. Since this horrifying incident, one-man killing sprees continue to be an unfortunate reality of our times.
What made this senseless act of violent all the more disturbing was the killer's motive: the victims' gender.
Armed with a rifle, 25-year-old Marc Lépine entered a classroom, singled-out the women and began his shooting rampage. After 20 minutes of sheer terror, Lépine turned the gun on himself.
I was six-years-old at the time and not really aware of current affairs, but I'm sure the incident left many Canadians feeling shocked and appalled.
Since Lépine specifically targeted women, declaring "I hate feminists" before opening fire, the tragedy opened a much broader discussion about violence against women in this country.
In 1991, the Parliament of Canada declared Dec. 6 National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada.
"December 6 represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women in our society. It is also an opportunity to consider the women and girls for whom violence is a daily reality, and to remember those who have died as a result of gender-based violence," according to the Government of Canada. "It is a day on which communities can consider concrete actions to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls."
Dec. 6 happens to fall within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Nov. 25) and ends on International Human Rights Day (Dec 10).
"Millions of women and girls around the world are assaulted, beaten, raped, mutilated or even murdered in what constitutes appalling violations of their human rights. [...] We must fundamentally challenge the culture of discrimination that allows violence to continue," stated U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Nov. 25.
Severe cases of violence against women continue to persist in countries like the Congo where rape is a common instrument of war. A recent headline from The Guardian reads "Rape in Congo is not a myth-if anything, it is under-reported." In the article, the journalist cites 79 government soldiers being prosecuted for rape by a UN and American Bar Association funded mobile court system last year. It is a reality that is hard to imagine in a place like Canada.
Although less widespread, violence against women continues in our own backyard.
Last weekend, my fellow reporter's column entitled "The Highway of Tears" described a stretch of Canadian highway between Prince Rupert and Prince George where several women have gone missing over the years.
"Most women along this stretch of highway had been hitchhiking, making them 'easy' targets," said Running.
Occasionally, we may hear about domestic abuse cases in the news or through hearsay. High profile cases like Russell Williams and Robert Pickton also remind us that no matter how civilized our society, violence against women is an issue that requires ongoing vigilance and action to curb its prevalence.
