This year has been a year of tragedies for many in the world, from missing planes and sinking ferries, to armed civil unrest and schoolgirl abductions. But closer to home, 2014 marks an important anniversary in the lives of Canadians both young and old. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Massacre in which 14 women were killed at École Polytechnique in Quebec. The reason for this brutal attack: a man “fighting feminism” and seeking revenge for the women he believed ruined his life.
Violence against women isn’t a series of isolated incidents, it’s a systemic issue that is rooted in sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of discrimination and oppression. It’s all connected, and we can’t end violence against women without turning our attention to these issues.
