Mr. Speaker, the International Day to End Violence Against Women is November 25. It is a day chosen as the anniversary of the brutal assassination of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s.
These three sisters known as the Unforgettable Butterflies were symbols of dignity and inspiration for their struggle for freedom and respect for human rights in the face of an oppressive regime. In their memory people come together around the world on November 25 to denounce gender violence in all its forms: domestic battery, rape and sexual harassment, state violence, torture and abuse of female political prisoners.
On November 25 all Canadians can mark this day and recommit to doing everything they can to end violence against all women everywhere.