Carleton University’s Faculty of Engineering and Design invited the university community to observe Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Dec. 6.
The day was established to commemorate the 1989 killing of 14 women at École Polytechnique in Montreal. Twelve of the 14 victims were engineering students. The day also serves as a time to honour victims of gender-based violence and remember the lives lost, including missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and women from equity-denied backgrounds.
The event began with remarks from Carleton’s interim president and vice-chancellor Jerry Tomberlin, the engineering faculty’s associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion Cynthia Cruickshank, and the vice-president external of the Carleton Student Engineering Society Monica Paul.
During Paul’s speech, she said women in the engineering field inspired her from a young age.
She said thanks to her new role with the Engineering Society—an organization that has advocated for women in engineering since 1979 — she’s able to help other women break into the field.
“I now have the privilege and responsibility to be a role model for others, and to create safe spaces for other women within the Carleton engineering community, to learn, grow and succeed,” Paul said.
Tomberlin shared the names of the 14 women who died at the École Polytechnique shooting before leading a moment of silence, encouraging attendees to reflect on the date’s significance.
“Before you leave today, I ask you to do one thing: write down one way you can be an ally to women in the Carleton community and to women in general,” Tomberlin said.
He then invited attendees to use provided heart-shaped papers and pin them to a nearby board as a space for positivity and inclusivity.
Alexandra Sabben, the communications manager of the Faculty of Engineering and Design, said the faculty holds the commemoration event every year.
Additionally, Carleton’s Feminist Institute of Social Transformation (FIST) issued a statement on Carleton’s website to recognize the day, urging collective action to address and prevent all forms of violence against women.
The statement noted the need to honour the lives lost while also committing to ongoing work to create a world shaped by equity, dignity and care.
The institute stated that gender-based violence is interconnected with systemic oppressions like colonialism, racism, ableism and transphobia. These disproportionately affect marginalized groups, including Indigenous women, Black and racialized women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and migrant women, FIST’s statement read.
“As a community, we must prioritize addressing these intersections to create meaningful and actionable change,” the statement read.
The statement concluded by calling on individuals, institutions, and governments to take actionable steps towards ending violence against women, including advocating for systemic reforms, investing in supports for survivors and funding prevention initiatives.
“Let us continue building a future where everyone, regardless of gender, can live in safety and freedom.”
Featured Image by Daniel Fraser/the Charlatan.
