National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women
December 6th is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
This day serves as a memorial for Montreal's École Polytechnique, December 6, 1989. On that day, fourteen female engineering students were killed, and fourteen more were injured, when a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle targeting women entered their engineering school in Montreal.
As we mourn their loss and honour their memory, we reaffirm our commitment to fight the hatred that led to this tragedy, and promote inclusivity, diversity, and equality.
Although we can not gather together physically to celebrate the lives of these women this year, you can still participate virtually! You can start by viewing the Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering Mathematics) Library Guide, which contains impact stories and memoirs of this tragic event. These books are available online, or through Curbside Pickup.
The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, with the Engineering Society, hosted an online ceremony on December 3rd to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the tragic events in Montreal. This ceremony was recorded and can be viewed by anyone.
Guest speakers at the event included the new FEAS Women in Engineering Chair, Dr. Heidi Ploeg, amongst others. The ceremony also included the unveiling of a new art installation within Beamish Munro Hall which was commissioned for the 30th Anniversary last year. This was designed by Haley Adams, one of Queen's engineering graduates.