Violence against women . . . enough!

In 2008, thousands of Québec women suffer violence every day. Here, and across the planet, violence and the fear it breeds are women's daily lot. Women and girls are harassed, assaulted, beaten and even killed. These acts occur in lanes, in women's own homes, behind closed doors, within a seemingly happy family, over cradles, on the job, etc.

The attacker is often someone close to the woman: a father, grandfather, spouse, customer or boss. The threat of violence, harassment and sexual assault hovers over all women simply because we are women. Violence erupts in the context of relationships that unfortunately are still unequal; it is committed by persons in positions of power or who assume authority. Violence can be insidious or explicitly brutal; whatever its form, it always causes harm.

Violence against women is an everyday occurrence. This year, women's transition house received 87 000 requests for assistance and have received more than 8 000 women and 5 000 children; nearly 8,000 demands were received by rape crisis centers (Centres d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions à caractère sexuel (CALACS); over 16,000 women knocked on the door of a women's centre as a result of violence; 21,000 women in distress or loved ones seeking help for them phoned the S.O.S. Violence conjugale help line.

And this does not include all the women who remained silent about the violence they suffered.What must be done?

We know that silence kills and slogans alone cannot protect or restore someone's life. More needs to be done; we must move from awareness to action. We firmly believe that it is possible to end violence against women; and we defend every person's right to integrity and dignity. We believe that a world without violence is possible.

Refuse to accept violence! The groups that work specifically with women victims of violence will not succeed alone. Together, women and men, let's take action and break the wall of silence!

From November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 6, National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, wear a white ribbon as a symbol of our solidarity.



Twenty years ago 14 young women were assassinated by a man who hated women and the social advances they had achieved.

On December 6, 2009 thirty-four women from Brome-Missisquoi attended the memorial gathering held at Parc Émélie-Gamelin.

Take a moment to remember Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.





Quebec Women Centres Day

International Women's Day

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