by Claire McMenemy
On November 25, 2022, Ontarians will join in solidarity with women and their supporters across Canada and around the world to observe the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. November 25th marks the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence that ends on World Human Rights Day, on December 10th. In Canada, during these 16 days, we also observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action of Violence Against Women, which occurs every year on December 6th on the anniversary of murder of 14 women at Polytechnique Montréal 33 years ago.
Events and actions that you can join on November 25th include:
- Across Ontario, you can attend the raising of the Wrapped in Courage Flag at different civic and social services agencies
- In Chatham-Kent, take part in the Shine Your Light campaign by shining purple lights in commercial and private buildings during the month of November
- In Perth, attend the Violent Femmes Girls Night Out Gala to raise money for Lanark County Interval House
- Wear a purple scarf or shirt, and share it on social media using the hashtag #16Days.
For more ideas about how to observe November 25th and the 16 Days of Activism, check out the Wrapped in Courage website and read their Proclamation.
Let’s do our part to paint our communities purple this November 25th !
Claire McMenemy is a lawyer and Social Worker at the Community Legal and Advocacy Centre in Belleville, ON. She is part of our SHAPE (Sexual Harassment Advice Prevention and Education) project which provides advice, training and education to employees and employers across Ontario on how to prevent and appropriately address sexual harassment in the workplace.