Mr. Speaker, internationally one in three women is subjected to physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. That is roughly 736 million women around the world. Nationally our numbers are not much better. In Canada, three out of 10 women aged 15 years or older have experienced sexual assault. That is 30%. That is one-third of all women in Canada. These numbers should deeply upset Canadians, and especially us as parliamentarians. They should motivate us for real, tangible action.
Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. This year's theme is “Orange the world: End violence against women now”. Orange is the colour used to represent a brighter future, free of violence against women and girls. If we work together, we can make this future a reality.
We all have a part to play in ending violence against women. We need to come up with a concrete plan that provides the necessary resources, funding and support for women and young girls facing violence. To ensure safer communities and a safer Canada, we need to do better.