2009 Purple Ribbon Campaign
Members of the Brackley Women’s Institute help out with the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women’s Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence by pinning purple ribbons to information cards for distribution. From Left to right Barbara Jenkins, Marie Kenny, and Julie Brooks
2009 Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence
20 Years After the Montreal Massacre: The PEI Story
CHARLOTTETOWN, November 25, 2009 — Twenty years ago, on December 6, 1989, fourteen women were murdered at l’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. On Prince Edward Island, just weeks before the Montreal Massacre, a 27-year-old mother of three was shot dead by her estranged husband in Summerside. Since then, we have lost seven more Island women at the hands of men.
“Islanders are not immune to violence against women and children”, says Isabelle Christian, chair of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Untold numbers of girls and women continue to be controlled, stalked, and threatened in our province.”
The PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women launched its 2009 Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence today, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in Charlottetown. The Campaign encourages all Islanders to wear a purple ribbon on or around December 6 in recognition of the National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence Against Women. The theme of this year’s Island campaign is “20 Years After the Montreal Massacre: The PEI Story”.
“Public outrage over the horrific deaths of women has led to many positive government and community initiatives to stop violence against women,” says Purple Ribbon Campaign Coordinator Sandy Kowalik. “For example, there is better training now for those working directly with victims of violence. Women Abuse Protocols have been developed by a committee of government and community individuals for people working in hospitals, in the justice system, for police, and social services”
This year’s Campaign looks back over the many changes that have taken place in the last 20 years. An important early step was government’s investment in its Victim’s Services department in order to deliver province-wide services to victims of crime as they enter the formal justice system. A couple of years later, the government hired retired the Hon. Charles McQuaid to conduct the 1991 McQuaid Inquiry that explored how police and courts deal with intimate partner violence. The formation of the Premier’s Action Committee on Family Violence Prevention and the enactment of the PEI Victims of Family Violence Act are significant initiatives that stemmed out of the McQuaid Report.
Some of the most innovative initiatives have come from community-led projects. For example, the Justice Options for Women Who Are Victims of Violence has brought together many government and non-government stakeholders, including victims of violence, to try to establish a domestic violence court on PEI.
“Perhaps the greatest change that we have seen over the last 20 years is that people are talking about the issue of violence against women. People experiencing violence are talking about it, realizing that no one deserves to be abused”, says Isabelle Christian. “Although women are still being hurt the focus is slowly changing from blaming the victims to holding the offenders accountable for their actions”.
Information about the 2009 Purple Ribbon Campaign can be found on the Status of Women website http://www.gov.pe.ca/acsw or its blog http://peiacsw.wordpress.com
Volunteers from across the Island pinned purple ribbons to 25,000 bilingual information cards for distribution to schools, churches, government employees, and the general public. Purple ribbons are available, free of charge from the PEI Status of Women office at 368-4510.
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For further information:
Sandy Kowalik, Purple Ribbon Campaign Coordinator
(902) 368-4510 (office) peipurpleribbon@eastlink.ca
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The Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence (Campagne du ruban violet contre la violence) was initiated by the Prince Edward Island Advisory Council on the Status of Women in 1991 to remember the 14 women who were murdered at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal on December 6, 1989, and to raise awareness about violence against women.
The theme of the 2009 Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence is “20 Years After the Montreal Massacre: The PEI Story.”
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This year, over 25,000 ribbons attached to bilingual information cards will be distributed.
MONTREAL MASSACRE MEMORIAL SERVICES
November 25
Charlottetown – Gender Diversity and Sexuality Violences exhibit, W.A. Murphy Centre, concourse, UPEI, 10am – 2 pm. Contact: 628-4332
December 4
Charlottetown – Memorial Hall, Confederation Centre of the Arts, 12 noon – 1 pm
Featuring a commissioned performance piece by spoken word poet and musician Tanya Davis. Contact: 368-4510
O’Leary – O’Leary United Church, corner of Main & Brackley, 12 noon – 1 pm
Contact: 859-8849
December 6
Summerside – Summerside Heritage Park and Garden (Ottawa Street entrance), 1 pm. Unveiling of PEI Federation of Labour’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women monument. Reception to follow at St Mary’s Anglican Hall, 74 Summer Street. Contact: 436-9856
Wellington – Old Mills Park, 12 noon – 1 pm, lighting of candles to victims of violence, blessing by priest, release of balloons, lighting of a tree. Contact: 854-3584
DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES
- Bilingual information card…[ENG/FR]
For more information, please email Sandy at ![peipurpleribbon [at] eastlink [dot] ca](http://peiacsw.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/peipurple.jpg "peipurple"){kind=small}
or call the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women at 902-368-4510.
Thank you to 2009 contributors to the Purple Ribbon Campaign for generous assistance:
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