Today, we honour the fourteen young women whose lives were stolen at École Polytechnique in Montréal on December 6, 1989, only because they were women. It was a violent act of misogyny. We say their names. We carry their memory. And we face the reality that violence against women—especially Black, Indigenous, racialized, disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, and working-class women—remains a crisis in every part of this country.
For me, this isn’t just a date on a calendar — it’s a call to action.
It’s a moment for all of us to stop, take stock, and say loud and clear: every woman, every girl, and every gender-diverse person deserves to feel safe, valued, and live their lives free from fear. No excuses. No exceptions.
But we have to face the truth:
Gender-based violence in Canada is still happening at heartbreaking, unacceptable levels — and there continues to be a lack of political will to end this crisis.
The anniversary of the Montréal Massacre is a somber reminder of how far we still have to go.
Intimate partner violence is up 14% since 2018. Last year alone, 240 women and girls were murdered in acts of femicide. These aren’t numbers; they’re people. Families. Futures stolen far too soon, simply because of their gender.
Women and gender-diverse people in Canada are still more likely to live in poverty, face food insecurity, and struggle with unstable, unaffordable housing. When you don’t know if you can pay rent or put food on the table, you’re more vulnerable to abuse and economic exploitation. Economic insecurity fuels gender-based violence.
Let’s challenge the systems that fail women, girls, and gender-diverse people. And let’s build a future where gender-based violence and feminicide are never tolerated, minimized, or ignored.
First, women deserve real protections at work.
No one should choose between their safety and their paycheque. As leader of the NDP, I will strengthen anti-harassment laws, and ensure employers who ignore violence or intimidation are held accountable. We need real protections and prevention in every workplace, by coordinating a tripartite national strategy to implement ILO C-190, including measures to address the growing problem of violence and harassment from third parties.
Second, this country needs a real commitment to shelters and safe housing.
It is unacceptable that in the middle of a gender-based violence crisis, funding for women’s shelters is being cut or left to stagnate. I will increase federal funding for shelters every year, ensure frontline workers have stable support, and expand transitional and non-market housing so that women fleeing violence have somewhere safe to go.
Third, we must finally act on all the Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
We must implement all the Calls for Justice, beginning with Call for Justice 1.7. It calls for a National Indigenous and Human Rights Ombudsperson and a National Indigenous and Human Rights Tribunal — two institutions that would finally provide real accountability and justice.
The Inquiry showed the urgent need: Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people face systemic violence and major failures in our justice systems. I will advance Call for Justice 1.7 in full partnership with Indigenous communities.
Today, December 6, is a solemn day of remembrance — but it is also a call to courage and solidarity.
No one should have to carry this burden alone. This is everyone’s responsibility.
I stand with survivors. I stand with allies. And I stand with everyone fighting to build a country where safety, dignity, and equality are non-negotiable.
We remember. We mourn. And we act.
Rob Ashton