By S.Busse (FSWC Educator)

On December 6, 1989, a gunman entered Montréal’s École Polytechnique and murdered 14 women simply because they were women studying engineering. It was a calculated act of lethal misogyny: one that shattered families, silenced futures and awoke a nation to the deadly consequences of gender-based hate.

This day, now marked as Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, is not just about looking back. It is about acknowledging that violence against women is not a past-tense issue. Sadly, it continues - often silently and invisibly - in homes, workplaces and institutions across the country. Shockingly, internet personalities have glorified this misogynistic thinking.

The massacre was an attack on ambition, on equity, on the right of women to exist and thrive in male-dominated spaces. But the response must be louder than the act: remembrance must be paired with action.

In the Classroom:

Educators can honour this day by encouraging students to reflect on systemic gender-based violence. One activity: read short profiles of the 14 women killed in the massacre and ask students to consider what each woman aspired to. Then, write or discuss how society can remove the barriers such as violence, discrimination and silence that stand in the way of those dreams today.

This is not only women’s work. Men must engage, reflect and challenge the norms that allow violence to thrive. With awareness, empathy and a determination to create a world where no one is targeted for daring to belong, we can build a better tomorrow.

More Information: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/polytechnique-tragedy

‍