Madam Speaker, today marks the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, a day to honour the memory of the 14 women who were tragically murdered in the 1989 Polytechnique Montreal massacre, and so many more since.
In Canada, a woman or girl is killed every 48 hours. In Peel region alone, police responded to over 16,000 incidents of family and intimate partner violence in 2023. That is 44 disputes every day and almost two every hour, and that is just what gets reported. That is not counting those who are silent. This violence against women goes beyond physical harm. With the rise of online platforms, harassment now includes trolling, hacking and doxing. This systemic violence heavily affects marginalized women, indigenous women, racialized women and those with disabilities.
We must break this cycle. We must listen to and amplify survivors' voices, and strengthen support systems for those affected by violence.