Honouring the victims of gender-based violence

On December 6, communities across Canada come together to observe the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The day honours 14 female engineering students who were murdered 35 years ago at École Polytechnique de Montréal (now known as Polytechnique Montréal) in an act of gender-based violence.

Each year, the Faculty of Engineering hosts an event to remember, reflect and respond to the 14 lives that were tragically cut short, and to acknowledge the violence that women and girls who continue to experience today.

“On this day we not only remember those lost but also renew our commitment to building a future where women in STEM – and all women – can pursue their chosen path with safety, respect and equal opportunity,” said Mary Robinson, associate dean of outreach, equity and diversity who opened this year’s event.

Dr. Lisa Aultman-Hall, professor and chair of the Department of Systems Design Engineering, was a third-year engineering student at McMaster University when the attack at Ecole Polytechnique occurred. She remembers her mother’s frantic call late in the evening as she returned home from a busy day on campus. “She had been trying for hours to reach me, her daughter, her woman in engineering. She wanted to know that I was okay,” Aultman-Hall shared.

Those memories continue to serve as a poignant reminder for Aultman-Hall, who stressed the ongoing importance of awareness and advocacy. “We must all see sexism, call it out and contribute to its eradication. The status and rights of women and girls must be on everyone’s list,” she said.

Julia Evans, a third-year Biomedical Engineering student, is actively advancing this mission. As president of EngSoc, the Faculty’s student society, she is working to create a safe and inclusive environment for engineering students.

“To truly have equity in our society, and in engineering environments, we must allow young engineering students the opportunity to feel safe doing what they love,” she said. “As president, I advocate every day to allow undergraduate engineers safe spaces to learn, work and express themselves.”

Evans explained that pursuing education, calling out biases and advocating for equal opportunities were a few strategies that her fellow students could take to support non-male identifying students.

The importance of advocacy was further emphasized by Dr. Michael Collins, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. He recalled the horror he felt as a student at Memorial University when news of the attack reached him, and shared that he has continued to hear stories of violence and misogyny from the female-identifying students he now teaches.

Collins went on to remind educators of the critical role they play in training the next generation of engineers. “We are training the leaders of tomorrow. We need to ensure that they're on the right path,” he said. “We need to teach them to value and respect others, to call out injustice when they see it, to empower them to act.”

Following the speaking remarks, 14 members of the engineering community came forward to light a candle honouring each of the women who lost their lives at l’École Polytechnique, and a 15th for all those who were forever impacted by the events of that day. This was followed by a moment of silence.

The event concluded with encouragement from Robinson to continue remembering, reflecting and working to respond during the day of remembrance and beyond. “May we always honour those women who left us too soon,” she said. “Let us all take up the call to end gender-based violence on our campus, in our community, and around the world.”

The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence – an organizing strategy used to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to building a safer and more equitable campus, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office also hosted various events for 16 Days to raise awareness and inspire action.