Mr. Speaker, November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN first declared this day in 2000. However, since 1981, this has been a day of remembrance for women's rights advocates as a result of the 1961 murders of the three Mirabal sisters, who were women's rights advocates in the Dominican Republic.
Governments and organizations are invited to hold events and activities on this day to raise public awareness of this problem.
Violence can take many forms: it can be psychological, verbal, physical and even economic. Some 87% of women identify themselves as having been victims of sexual harassment and 25% as victims of spousal abuse.
The Bloc Québécois condemns violence of any kind and reiterates that each and every woman has the right to live without fear and to be treated fairly and with respect.