Taking a stand

Doing more for women affected by violence

Greg McVicker

Dec. 6, 2007 will go down in Canadian history as an appalling day for both our country and our universities. It was on this day in 1989 that 14 women, all of whom were engineering students, were gunned down at École Polytechnique de Montréal. After separating female from male students, the gunman shouted “I hate feminists” before opening fire. In their efforts to better their education, personal lives, and society, 14 women suddenly became victims of murder.

With this in mind, I ask why on a day of national mourning, one in which the Parliament of Canada lowers all flags to half mast, why only five people could find the time to gather at University Centre to recognize, remember, and reflect upon a day that took the lives of students who (like you and me), were attending a university to further their education and to better their lives? The University of Manitoba should have a policy written that dedicates time to attend and reflect upon such tragic events. In an institution that has 5,000 faculty and staff and over 26,000 students and, by my own count, less than 60 people attended the memorial services and speeches given afterwards. Have we become complacent?

For those who make up the breadth of our institution, whether they are in administration, deans of various faculties, professors, instructors, or students, I wondered why so little emphasis and awareness is associated with this day of remembrance. Is this the value we place on women in society? And are we cognizant that we uphold patriarchal belief systems and structures? Women in the Canadian workforce are met with glass ceilings and still only make 73 cents to the dollar of their male counterparts, yet their efforts and education are the same. Or is it that we are just ignorant because the shootings did not happen here?

To commemorate the murders, the U of M Womyn’s Centre recreated this unforgettable day. Female students volunteered to lay their still bodies upon the dusty floor of University Centre, symbolizing those women who met untimely and horrendous fates. A female violinist played a mournful song as another female student, chalk in hand, drew an outline around each student who so bravely recounted the aftermath of Dec. 6, 1989.

The date does not change, nor will the events of this day be eradicated. However, it was overheard from patrons in line at Tim Hortons that “They must be from the arts department, recreating a drama or play.” Excuse me? Eighteen years later can we willfully forget about the 14 women who died and the additional 13 people that were injured in an institution like our own? Do we simply add our own perspective that as it did not happen here, we need not worry? Out of sight, out of mind, perhaps? Regardless of this, I was one of three males who took in this event, and observed in silence as one woman photographed the portrayal of this appalling day, reminiscent of the work crime scene detectives would have done in 1989.

Before you ask, no, I am not a feminist. However, in taking a feminist perspectives course this past summer, a privilege wheel was presented addressing opportunity, advantage and benefits among people. It turns out that white, married, straight, able bodied, Christian, educated and employed English speaking males who are healthy, have children, are homeowners between the ages of 30-45, are granted greater privileges and recognition in society; while those on the outside are considered to be part of the fringe, are marginalized, and/or oppressed. I challenged this and conceived my own term with respect to feminism, although this does not mean that I take the same perspective of the gunman and “hate feminists.” As a “femanist,” I welcome feminist theories as they challenge my views and enhance my role of advocating for women’s rights in that women are afforded equal opportunity, status, benefits, rights, and pay. Additionally, a “femanist” is any person who, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation, challenges the status quo by seeking to end all practices of oppression and domination towards each and every individual, by incorporating holistic practices and through the creation of equality for all humanity. Therefore, not everyone follows ideals presented by the privilege wheel. Although I am not alone in my views, do I and others deserve to be gunned down for being “femanists?”

The gunman felt that these women were defying their traditional role of staying home to cook and clean, raise children, be complacent in their everyday lives, and provide conjugal enjoyment for their husbands. These views could not have been further from the truth but often reflect a value associated with women in Canadian society and the world throughout. I believe that as members of society who are feminists, “femanists,” students, and the entire university, we need to finally come together as a collective unit and stand tall, while respectfully remember and reflecting upon the estimated 500 aboriginal women who have disappeared across Canada, the countless numbers of women who have become victims of violence and, the 14 women who were murdered in École Polytechnique de Montréal on Dec. 6, 1989. Although this is long past due, the time has come for us to take a stand and advocate for change.

Greg McVicker is a fourth-year undergraduate social work student.