Mr. Speaker, today many men and women across the land are wearing white ribbons to remind us that five years ago on this day 40 young women were tragically gunned down by a man at Montreal's l'École polytechnique, simply because they were women.
Sadly today little has changed. Women around the world still live in fear of violence by the hands of men they know and of men they do not know.
Much has been done to raise awareness of violence against women by Health Canada and other government and community agencies. The justice minister has, with his recent gun control proposals, moved one small step closer to protecting Canadian women but it is not enough.
It will never be enough until we women can walk the streets and be safe in our homes without fear. Yet there is still considerable denial by men of the cause and effect of this violence. Today the YMCA rose button and white ribbon campaign make a statement of remembrance and commitment.
I ask all men who love a daughter, mother, wife, partner or friend, to wear one of these symbols in solidarity with us. We need their support. The violence will not end unless they rise now and move positively to help us stop it.