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At Victoria talks, minister says more needs to be done to prevent gender-based violence

On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, it would be nice to say that the story of women being murdered because they are women is behind us, Canada’s gender equality minister said Wednesday.
Maryam Monsef
Mitzi Dean, left, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, and Maryam Monsef, minister for women and gender equality, at the Status of Women meeting in Victoria on Wednesday.

On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre, it would be nice to say that the story of women being murdered because they are women is behind us, Canada’s gender equality minister said Wednesday.

“The truth is that every six days in this country, a woman is killed by her intimate partner,” Maryam Monsef said at the Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort, as a federal-provincial status of women ministers meeting wrapped up.

“The truth is that our Indigenous sisters continue to go missing and are murdered.

“The truth is that gender-based violence is costing communities and it’s costing our economy billions of dollars.”

On Dec. 6, 1989, 14 women were murdered and another 14 people were injured in what came to be known as the Montreal Massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in Canadian history.

The shooter entered a mechanical engineering class at École Polytechnique in Montreal, ordered the women and men to opposite sides of the classroom and announced he was “fighting feminism” as he opened fire, killing six. He then moved through the school, targeting more women, before turning the gun on himself.

Monsef said while much progress has been made, more needs to be done to prevent gender-based violence and provide support for survivors and their families.

“For every step forward there has always been backlash, and there has always been impediments to progress,” said Monsef, adding one advancement is the first federal strategy to address and prevent gender-based violence.

Over the last few days at the Victoria meeting, ministers across party lines came to a consensus on a broad range of issues to accelerate progress on gender-based violence, close the gender wage gap and increase the participation of women in leadership, said Monsef.

Women’s organizations and equality-seeking organizations have done a tremendous amount of work to support survivors and their families and to bring governments along, said Monsef.

She could not say, when asked Wednesday, whether an election promise to ban assault weapons will appear in the federal government’s speech from the throne today. The shooter in the Montreal Massacre used a semi-automatic rifle.

At the meeting, ministers discussed gender-based violence, including cyber violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, the safety of Indigenous women and girls, and issues facing LGBTQ communities. They also heard from two youth panels about poverty, economic opportunity, health and well-being.

B.C. parliamentary secretary for gender equity Mitzi Dean said the 231 “calls for justice” that came from the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls was one of the issues that resounded most loudly at the conference.

The report included recommendations to help address violence directed at Indigenous women and girls and as well as LGBTQ Canadians.

Dean said the federal election had interrupted the flow of that work and it’s time to get back to it. “[Indigenous leaders] wanted to hear from governments — what are you doing and what have you heard.”

The B.C. Ministers Advisory Council on Indigenous Women brought a memorial quilt to the conference honouring the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, said Dean.

Asked what concrete achievements were made during the meeting, Monsef said ministers agreed to develop a three-year strategic plan to advance gender equality across Canada.

ceharnett@timescolonist.com