Mr. Speaker, the 20th annual Downtown Eastside Women's Memorial March will be held February 14.
A lot has happened since that first march, but the sad fact is that women are still very much at risk.
Women from the Downtown Eastside organize and lead this march because women, especially aboriginal women, face physical, mental and emotional violence on a daily basis. We gather together each year to support Sisters in Spirit and the Walk for Justice to show that we care.
I recently spoke at the Missing Women Commission in Vancouver and asked Mr. Oppal to utilize the public inquiry as a community process, where those most impacted by these tragedies have a voice. They can guide the way for what needs to be done to avoid further tragedy.
I also challenged him to not ignore the issues of poverty, racism, and inequality that underlie the violence experienced by these women. If we do not address these issues as a community, as a country, then real change will not occur.