York University will host a ceremony to recognize the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Friday, Dec. 1. The ceremony commemorates the lives of 14 young women who died at École Polytechnique in Montreal in 1989. They were killed because they were women in an engineering school.
The ceremony runs from noon to 1pm at the First Floor Cafe in the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence. A light lunch will be provided, and there will be a special announcement.
As well as commemorating the 14 young women whose lives ended in an act of gender-based violence that shocked the nation, this day represents an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the phenomenon of violence against women, indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2, people with disabilities and others who are marginalized in society.
This pan-University ceremony is a collaborative initiative between President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton, the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Centre for Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion, the Office of Student Community Relations, the Department of Community Safety, and many more.
The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is a day commemorated in Canada each year on Dec. 6, the anniversary of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. It is also known as White Ribbon Day.