STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE IRWIN COTLER UPON THE 15th ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS AT MONTREAL'S ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE

OTTAWA , December 6, 2004 – The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Irwin Cotler, today issued this statement:

"December 6 - marks the 15th anniversary of the tragic deaths of fourteen students at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal — fourteen students who were murdered because of their gender.

On this National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, we must not only commemorate the loss of these young women, but also reflect on the present and disturbing reality of violence against women in our society.

As UNICEF has stated, discrimination against women is an injustice greater than apartheid, and Charlotte Bunch, a leader of the international feminist movement, has stated that vast numbers of people around the world suffer from starvation and terrorism, and are humiliated, tortured, mutilated, and even murdered every year, just because they are women.

My own credo on this important issue is inspired by the women’s rights movement that energized the Vienna International Conference on Human Rights in 1993 with the refrain that “women’s rights are human rights, and there are no human rights without the rights of women.” This must not be a matter of rhetoric but a statement of principle and policy, and one that guides me as Canada ’s Minister of Justice.

The struggle for women’s rights—the struggle against violence against women—is a priority with respect to the justice agenda. Recently, for example, we have taken important steps on this front to combat the trafficking of women and girls, both domestically and internationally.

Much work remains to be done. As we pause to reflect on this solemn day, it is important to remember that December 6 also represents a day of action. All Canadians must work to develop concrete actions to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. Each one of us has an indispensable role to play in this struggle for human rights and human dignity. Each one of us can make a difference."

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Ref.:

Denise Rudnicki
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621

Media Relations
Department of Justice Canada
(613) 957-4207