Miss Vicky's Offhand Remarks

14. and 14.

In memoriam, on the anniversary of the Montreal Massacre:

Geneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.

14 things you can do to end violence against women:

1) Think Globally. Participate in an Amnesty International campaign.

2) Act Locally. Support a local shelter.

3) Be a positive role model. This goes for men and women. Show a girl or boy in your life the importance of respect and equality by being the kind of person you want them to grow up to be.

4) Raise non-violent children. Help the kids in your life find healthy ways of resolving conflict. Promote imagination and co-operation in their play. Help them question socialized gender roles. Talk to them about violence.

5) Speak out when you see it - attitudes that condone violence crop up in the most surprising places sometimes - in the media, in advertising, in friends' and colleagues' tasteless humour. If we are afraid to challenge it, how can we expect the victims of violence to break the silence?

6) Do something supportive for a woman you know who is or may be a victim of violence. We all know someone, don't we? Just a small gesture of friendship can make a big difference.

7) Take steps to make sure your own relationship is healthy

8) Get informed. If you don't think violence against women is a problem in our society, you haven't seen the numbers. Believe me, there's plenty of evidence.

9) Heal yourself. Many of us have been touched by violence in some way or other. This contributes to our own biases, attitudes and lingering issues. Do what you need to do to get healthy and stay healthy, whether it's counselling, a support group or just plain talking about it.

10) Reach out to a girl in your life. Help her build confidence and self-esteem. Give her a safe place to talk about anything.... without judgment. And most importantly, teach her to kick butt when she needs to.

11) Reflect, remember and stand up. Whether it's the annual Take Back the Night March, a vigil for a local victim, a visit to the women's memorial in Minto Park, or any of the numerous vigils taking place today, take some time to remember the many, many victims of violence.

12) Think about the big picture. Lack of good jobs, adequate housing, child care, education and training and other important social services contribute to keeping women stuck in violent situations.

13) For the boys: get involved in the White Ribbon campaign

14) Do what you can to promote women's equality. Donate or volunteer with an organization that promotes women's equality or social and economic justice. Think about women's issues when you exercise your vote... at any level of government.

Care to add a comment?