Minister MacKay Issues Statement to Mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Dec. 6, 2013) - Today, the Honourable Peter MacKay, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Central Nova, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, issued the following statement.

"On December 6, 1989, 14 young women were murdered at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal simply because they were women. This senseless act shocked Canadians, and continues to have lasting effects on our communities more than two decades later.

Violence against women and girls is not limited to such dramatic public expressions of hatred and violence. Unfortunately, it occurs all too often in homes and communities throughout Canada. Our Government is committed to continuing efforts to address gender-based and sexual violence-including violence faced by Aboriginal women and girls, who are three and a half times more likely to experience violent victimization.

We also continue to provide support for victims of crime, including funding to programs for victims of sexual violence, as part of our Government's commitment in the 2013 Speech from the Throne.

As we remember the 14 women killed at l'École Polytechnique 24 years ago, we must renew our resolve to work together to make Canada a safer place for all women and girls."

For more information on how you can take action against violence against women, please visit the following websites:

Status of Women Canada: The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence: http://swc-cfc.gc.ca/commemoration/vaw-vff/days-jours-eng.html

White Ribbon Campaign: http://www.whiteribbon.ca/

The Rose Campaign: http://ywcacanada.ca/en/pages/rose/about

Ending Violence Association of British Columbia - Be More Than a Bystander : http://www.endingviolence.org/node/1089

Sexual Assault Voices of Edmonton - Don't Be That Guy: http://www.savedmonton.com/about-our-campaigns.html

AGIR contre la violence faite aux femmes (French only): http://oxfam.qc.ca/campus/inspirez_vous/violence_femmes

Internet: http://www.justice.gc.ca (Version française disponible)

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