Shabna Ali and Tracy Porteous: December 6 vigils are important, but not nearly enough

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      By Shabna Ali and Tracy Porteous

      The candlelight vigils that take place on every December 6 to remember and honour the 14 women students murdered at École Polytechnique in Montreal are important and moving because they honour all those women, and women and children victimized every year, everywhere.

      But the day isn’t solely about remembering. It’s called the Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence Against Women and Children.

      However in B.C., there has been far too little action.

      Violence against women and children takes a terrible toll. In B.C., almost 100 women were killed by their spouses between 2003 and 2011. (These numbers don’t include the murdered and missing women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, B.C.’s Highway 16, or the many communities coping with the epidemic of violence against women.)

      Almost 60,000 women experience sexual and physical violence each year in B.C.

      Having a day to remember isn’t nearly enough. We need committed leadership. We need people who speak up when they see women disrespected and people to step in when they see injustice. We need to choose the kind of society we want to live in and hold leaders accountable.

      In September, Victoria’s police department withdrew critical resources from a regional domestic violence unit created as a result of recommendations from an inquest into a horrific mass murder in Oak Bay in 2007. This unit is considered a “luxury”, the department said.

      In the last two years, reports by the B.C. representative for children and youth, the Justice Institute of B.C., and others found that not enough is being done in our province to ensure women and their kids are kept safe from violence.

      Programs in B.C. have faced budget cuts that prevented them from providing help that could keep women and children safe from violence, and help them recover.

      On November 11, 2011, 124 transition houses, second stage, safe home, and children who witness abuse programs participated in a one-day census conducted by the B.C. Society of Transition Houses. On this single day, these programs helped 1,110 women and children in person, and another 1,461 via phone or email. But they turned away 658 women, youth, and children. Other community victim services, counselling, and outreach programs connected to the Ending Violence Association of B.C. are having the same problem. There just isn’t enough funding in place to respond.

      Community services make a huge difference every day. It is simply wrong when they are prevented from providing help and support that can save lives.

      In B.C., high-profile tragedies bring a flurry of activity and announcements related to violence against women and children. But what’s needed is a continuing, well-planned, and adequately funded set of supports and prevention services shaped by communities.

      British Columbians need to hear from leaders at all levels of government about their specific plans to address violence against woman and children. A provincial election is coming. Please make your voice heard.

      We will continue to remember and honour those who have fallen to violence. But it is time for action.

      Shabna Ali is executive director of the B.C. Society of Transition Houses. Tracy Porteous is executive director of the Ending Violence Association of B.C. They wrote this commentary on behalf of the Roundtable of Provincial Social Services Organizations.

      Comments

      3 Comments

      PleaseWhatever

      Dec 1, 2012 at 10:41am

      To contextualize Lepine's actions as merely violence against women is to define the tragedy through the lens of his fractured mind. December 6 is most importantly a day to consider mental health issues and gun control. How children got folded in is beyond me. Violence against women and children is violence, it doesn't require politicization. Violence is violence. Marginalizing Lepine's actions into some subset of violence is to take the eye off the ball of what can actually be done to prevent future tragedies. Gun control and mental health.

      N M

      Jan 20, 2013 at 5:46pm

      I agree. I had to deal with violence. My father was an abusive husband. I started standing up to him on her behalf from the age of two and a half. I remember everything. It is absolutely traumatic. I even physically got in the way and saved her life. There were times when he tried to kill her. I put myself in danger for her. Through my efforts he stopped abusing her at those moments and I was effective to stop him from abusing her before I started elementary school. The problem is she was no better. She has never acknowledged what I did rather she was abusive to me. The reason for this is that these people cannot see another human being's perspective. I demanded my father do that for her, but she did not do that for me. There is no difference between their attitudes.

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