, Student Voice

Silence is Violence

Jesmeen Deo
Team Member

¢¢silence is violence” was the declaration of a poster hung

up at the event held in the Wintergarden at noon on
November 25 for the National Day of Remembrance & Action
on Violence Against Women. And that was the theme, it
appeared, through all the speakers’ messages.

The event was held to commemorate the Montreal
Massacre on December 6, 1989. On that day, 14
women - all math and science students - were
murdered at l’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.

Ribbons were being handed out to be worn the entire day -
purple for women, and white for men. The purple ribbons
signify the pain, suffering and bruises that women have
suffered at the hands of men; the white ribbons men wear
are to demonstrate their support of non-violence against
women. The ribbons are to be worn until December 6.

It was all organized by the Inspiring Women Among Us group
here at UNBC, an initiative that holds events and awareness
campaigns leading up to this Dec. 6 event. Their ultimate
goal is education and their theme is that of encouraging
more women to join the STEM fields. The event was well
attended, by men and women alike. The program had

several speakers, all of whom delivered moving messages.

First up was Cheryl George, Cultural Coordinator at the UNBC
First Nations Centre, to open up the event. Then, Daniel
Weeks delivered a speech emphasizing his support for the
Women’s Centre and the Inspiring Women Among Us group
here at UNBC. Dr. Si Transken, a professor in the School of
Social Work at UNBC, and a poet, stated in her poetry that
feminism still matters in 2015. Dr. Zoe Meletis, Professor in
the Geography program, read two of her poems aloud;
Jacqueline Baldwin, a poet from the community, also
read out her piece about the character of one of

the women killed in the Montreal Massacre.

Stephanie Wall, an undergraduate student
of Environmental Engineering, shared

her positive experiences on her
educational path and was
hopeful for what the future
might hold. Cathy
Mackay, a Biologist
at Environmental
Dynamics

Inc, spoke

powerfully about the gender gap in engineering that

has persisted over decades and decades. Hira Rashid,

a student in Social Work, read aloud her moving poem
talking about the concept of honor in men and how it has
harmed women. Shannon Williams, the NUGSS Women’s

Representative, spoke about how she has been affected
by inequality in her own pursuits in a traditionally male
line of work. Dawn Hemingway, Chair of the School

of Social Work, talked about other events coming up
and about the importance of feminism. Feminists

want equality. They want equal opportunity for
everyone; and if that scares you, maybe you ought

to examine why. The feminist movement isn’t about
oppressing men. It’s about uplifting those who are already
oppressed, so that we all have equal opportunity in life.
That is why we need an International Women’s Day,

that’s why we need a Women’s Centre, that’s why

we need to talk more about these issues.

It’s because every woman has been made
to feel unsafe by a man. It’s because of
the fact that according to Status
of Women Canada a women is
three times more likely to be

a victim of violence than

a man. It’s because
white women make
77 cents on the
dollar and

their

coloured counterparts make even less. It’s

because people still think gender is
by genitalia. It’s because little girls
aren't allowed to play with toy cars
and little boys aren’t allowed

to play with Barbie dolls.
It’s about equality. It’s
about everyone; and

we need to talk

about it.

defined

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