University of Calgary remembers L’Ecole Polytechnique victims
Posted Dec 6, 2013 5:05 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A day of remembrance and action is being observed in Calgary and across Canada, 24 years after the murder of 14 women at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal.
The women died because of their gender and that has spurred on activists around the country to continue to campaign against gender violence.
Professor Kathleen Mahoney, with the faculty of law at the University of Calgary, said there is progress in gender equality law and a shift in thinking.
“I think, it is broader then people who label themselves feminists, people look beyond individual abuse and into a broader category of the social order,” said Mahoney.
She said there are a number of changes in public opinion that have brought about changes in the courts and though the progress is slow, it does exist.
“I think women are more likely to claim the right to physical integrity today. I think they’re more likely to conceive of sexual invasion as a crime as opposed to just life,” said Mahoney.
Foregoing the days of the “No Means No” slogan, Emily Macphail, with the University of Calgary students union, hopes to see a shift in how people view sexual relationships as well.
“Yes Means Yes, on the other hand, really places the burden on the instigator and says that if you want to do something sexually or if you want to have a relationship with this person, you need to ask,” said Macphail.
The National Day of Remembrance is one of 16 days of action around the world against gender violence towards both men and women.
