On Dec. 6, 1989, 14 young women were killed at the École Polytechnique in Montreal in what has become known as the Montreal Massacre. These women were murdered in mere minutes simply because they were women. This act is now referred to as femicide, which, as per the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability, underscores how women are often targeted and killed because they are women.

The murder of these women was not an isolated act. Along with violence against women in homes, workplaces, and the street, this tragedy is yet another manifestation of the devaluing and blaming of women, which is embedded in our society and internalized in individuals.

Their tragic deaths remind us of the frightening reality that dozens of women die violently every year. In Canada and around the world, women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals face unacceptable violence and discrimination.


December 6 has been declared an annual national day of mourning and action.

This commemorative day falls within the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign which begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and runs until December 10, Human Rights Day. The campaign provides people around the world with an opportunity to come together to call out, speak up against, and renew our commitment to end gender-based violence.


A plaque featuring the names of the victims of the 1989 massacre.

Violence is a chosen response. Society must become more serious about ending violence against women and children. Our institutions must work and achieve equality including equal power between men and women.

Violence against women and children makes the news almost every day. There are countless opportunities to get past the headlines to examine:

  • history of violence against women; social, political, racial, and media context of violence;
  • psychological, social and economic impact on women’s (and children’s) lives;
  • needs of women and children who have witnessed or experienced violence;
  • police and legal response;
  • political response by various levels of governments; and,
  • role of education, anti-violence and anti-sexism programs in schools.

Until then, I had never realized how uneventful the path toward women’s liberation had been. The notion that women deserved to go where only men had gone before had not been met, curiously enough, with fierce resistance.

Francine Pelletier, Canada’s History Magazine

#MeToo Movement

In 2006, Tarana Burke, a Black American civil rights activist started the #MeToo movement that reignited a worldwide movement in 2016. She is the first to use the phrase “Me Too,” in 2006, raising awareness to the ongoing societal issues of sexual harassment and abuse. As a teenager, she became involved in working to improve the lives of young girls living in marginalized communities. Burke continues to focus her social activism and advocacy on helping young women who are marginalized and survivors of abuse. #METOO has developed into a global movement, giving voice to women speaking out against gender-based violence and sexual harassment.  

The Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario is committed to addressing issues of sexual harassment and gender-based violence in our schools, communities and workplaces.

As educators, we recognize that the path towards social change includes supporting our members’ understanding and bringing to light these issues. 

It's SMART to VOTE for BETTER SCHOOLS