Wednesday, December 06, 2006
December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
On December 6, 1989, 14 women at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal were murdered because they were women. I want to recognize the significance of today for women whose lives have been affected by violence.
There are and will be many annual events happening today throughout the province in remembrance and I encourage you to join one happening in your community. In particular, this year the Ontario Federation of Labour is participating an initiative that makes the direct links between violence and work for women called Step it Up. OFL frames the links this way:
There are and will be many annual events happening today throughout the province in remembrance and I encourage you to join one happening in your community. In particular, this year the Ontario Federation of Labour is participating an initiative that makes the direct links between violence and work for women called Step it Up. OFL frames the links this way:
“Women make up almost half the work force and much more in some sectors. An abused woman is often a working woman. Not surprisingly…domestic violence can interfere with a woman’s ability to get, perform or keep a job… Home can be a danger zone, but for some women the workplace is no sanctuary as stalking, threats and violence follow them to work.”
The web site talks more about the Step It Up Campaign, and talks about a Private Members Bill being introduced in Ontario that “would give all Ontario workers on-the-job protection by making workplace harassment an offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.”
Read more on the OFL site
Labels: Meetings_and_Events, Resources_and_Research
