Dec. 6 is the anniversary of the senseless slaying in Montreal 22 years ago of 14 young women.
Members of the United Nurses of Alberta and other unions need to use the solemn occasion to renew their commitment to finding practical ways to end violence against women and girls in Canadian homes, communities and workplaces.
"Nurses, as front-line health care workers, we see the impact of violence and sometimes experience it in our workplaces," said UNA President Heather Smith. "Each year on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women we ask our members to think about the potential for violence in our society, and the ways each of us can contribute to reducing violence."
"We need to focus on the lives of women and girls who live with bullying or the threat of deliberate acts of gender-based violence, and we need to reflect on the changes we can make in our own lives, at our workplaces and throughout society to reduce all forms of violence."
Among the things unions can do effectively is to continue to work for effective and effectively enforced workplace safety legislation that includes clear rules of working alone, she noted. Another is encouraging safety audits of workplaces where our members work.
Canadians should also be prepared to speak up on issues like the planned destruction by the federal Conservative government of the national long-gun registry, which was set up as a direct and positive response to the tragedy of Dec. 6, 1989, when 14 young women were slain because of their gender at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal by a man with a military-style rifle.
Parliament proclaimed Dec. 6 a National Day of Remembrance to commemorate the tragedy.
|
