DECEMBER 6TH MEMORIAL
SUSANB U B A K Imprint staff
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ecember 6 wasproclaimed a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women following the massacre of 14 women at L'Ecole Polytechnique de Montrealin 1989. Both UW and WLU are planning memorial servicesto commemorate the Montreal Massacre. The Womyn's Centre at UW is planning amemorial service for December 6 at 5:30 p.m. The service will be held in Siegfried Hall at St. Jerome's University. Fourteen candles will be lit in memory of the victims. Refreshmentswill be served after the service and discussion groups will be held at the Womyn's Centre in room 2102 of the Student Life Centre. Last year's discussion topicsincluded "women in non-traditional professions,violence againstwomen, and the negative stereotypes of feminism," explained Womyn's Centre volunteer Brenda Beatty. Eleven years after the Montreal Massacre, the tragedy is still fresh in Beatty's mind. "It's so recent," she said. "Fourteen women were killed because they're women. It's a stark reminder of how women and men are not treated equally. As a student, it's such an emotional time for me. It's a very personal issue. I don't think it should ever be forgotten." Guest speakersat the servicewill
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HALA KHALAF Imprint staff
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leven years ago, o n a cold wintery day in Montreal, Canada, 14women lost their lives in a brutal, devastating expression of needlessviolence and hatred. The fragile and delicate thread of their lives was cut short at the hands of aman blinded by ignorance. Why? The reason was simple: they were women. Similarly, their male classmates were spared for one reason: they were men. Gunman Marc Lepine did not know these women. He also did not know the nine other women and four men he had injured. He based his act of violence on his intense belief that he was refused entrance into the University of Montreal's engineering programme because of their presence. T o him, these women had chosen acareer that should rightfully be dominated by men, and so they deserved to die. He k~iledthem, then killed himself. It was a Wednesday afternoon, a little after 5:00 p.m., Lepine entered the Schoolof Engineering,car-
include UW students as well as professors like Carol Anne Weaver, who teachesmusicat Conrad Grebe1College. Weaver will be performing "FourteenWomen/Quatorze Femmes," a piece she wrote and dedicated to thevictims. "The piece represents the spirits of these 14 women, not just their tragic deaths," said Weaver. The piece was firstperformed in November 1990 at the Music Gallery inToronto. "The ensemble had 14 players: flute, clarinets, saxophones, brass, electricviolin, electric cello, keyboards, and multiple percussion [instruments]," Weaver explained. "Isymbolicallyhadeach of the women represented by an improvisation by a different one of the 14 players." For the memorial service at St. Jerome's College, Weaver will perform a solo rendition of "Fourteen Women/Quatorze Femmes" on the keyboard. "I will also do keyboards and vocals for several other songs I wrote recently for people who have passed on," she said. As the eleventh anniversary of the Montreal Massacre draws near, "Fourteen Not Forgotten" hasnever beenmore relevant. "I thinkit isvery important for us to commemorate the lives and deaths of these 14 womeneach year in December," said Weaver. "These women died because they were women, and because one manwas afraid of women." The Women's Centre atWLUis
rying a .223 calibre semi-automatic rifle, knives, and bandoliers of ammunition. Hewasnotastudentthere; he was refused admission. This 25year-old who loved war films and was a failed military candidate was also the product of a violent home. Could that be the reason behind his violent outburst? What explanation can one give? Wallung into a random classroom, he shouted, "I want the women." He then proceeded to separate the men from the women, ordered the men to leave the classroom, and lined the women up against one wall. For six of the nine women in the class, 'You are all fuckingfeminists," were the last words they heard before they died. Lepine cont~nuedhis rampage. He had already killed one woman near the copying room prior to enteringthat firstclassroom. Hestalked through the corridors, firing at random, then burst into the cafeteria, killed three more women, and proceeded into another classroom, where he murdered four more women then shot himself. These women died because Lepine identified them as feminists.
Memorial for the Montreal Massacre
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lmprint Special Edition
also planning a memorial service for November 30 at 11:30 a.m. in the Concourse on campus. "We are planning a musical performance," said Sarah Mooney, Community Liaison Coordinatorat theWLU Women's Centre. "We light 14 candles and have 14roses. After the service, there is a reception with refreshments." The guest speaker is Mercedes Rowinsky, amodern languagesprofessor at WLU. "It's importaht to commemorate this tragedy because it is part of our history,@ said Rowinsky. "It doesn't matter how horrible it is, it has to be remembered in order for us not to forget." When asked if she felt that progress has been made in preventing violence against women, Rowinsky replied, "if we keep working, if we keep moving forward, if we save one life, then we are moving forward." According to Rowinsky, there are many lessons to be learned from the Montreal Massacre, including the lesson that violence against women needs to be brought out into the open. "We need to break the shadow of shame that comes with violence against women," she says. "Let's bring it to the forefront of our society so people can see that even though we are living in one of the best countriesof the world, there are acts that should ashame us all, and they happen daily. . it has to stop."
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They chose to pursue a career in a profession that was traditionally claimed bv, men.,and so died. It was a tragedy that unleashed legislative change, research,new attitudes, and national soul searching to this day. For Canada, it was a moment that changed everything. But like many moments in history, this tragedy has generated hope. Canada opened its eyes to gender violence that has been hidden and ignored for decades. Canadians are aware of the violence present against women, and have taken steps to halt it. In 1990, following the Massacre, the Canadian government devoted funds to research the issue of violenceagainstwomen. Soalthough the violence is still there, in Canada and in the rest of our world, there is less silence, and more strength. December 6 is dedicated to these 14 women, and to all women who have suffered because they chose to becourageousanddifferent andgive back a little to the world we live in. We remember them with compassion and sadness, but we also remember their strength.
Siegfried all,' St. Jerome's j
NICOLE FAWCETFP Imprint intern
' i t h the presence of brightly coloured pillows, knitshawlsand blanketsstrewn aroundacircle of comfy couches and chairs, one would mistake the Womyn's Centre office for a much lived-in and loved dorm room. With the preparation for today's Montreal Massacre ceremonies, the office has seen neater days, 17 years worth of neater days to be exact. Established in 1982, t h e Womyn's Centre has come along way from being a tight group of radical feminists to a place where both men and women are welcome to discusswomen issues. "For the last couple of terms we've been trying to encourage people to participate and give them the knowledge that this place exists," said BrendaBeatty,aco-coordinator of the Womyn's Centre along with Sam Murphy. The centre is both an area where students can gain information or a place for "people to come in and talk about some burning issue," said Beatty. "We've had some serious issues, like 'I've been raped,' or 'I'm being sexually harassed at work.' People who don't know where to turn, so they come in here and we have a lot of connections with community resources, we'll sit and talk to them, make sure they're okay at that moment and refer them to somewhere else, where they can actually get real help" The Womyn's Centre ispleased that they are connected with a community that believes in the use of social programs. "Kitchener-Waterloo is a really good place for that kind of thing, we have the largestnational spending on social programs. .We
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have a lot of great crisis centres and women's shelters," saidBeatty. Acertain controversysurrounds the spelling of the centre's name, as it is spelt with a 'y' rather than an 'e.' "We've had this discussion once this year and people said, Yeah, I didn't come up here for a while because the'y'kindof intimidatesme,"' said Beatty. "Everyone who's here identifiesthemselvesasafeminist. So the 'y'is abigissue with them because the spelling of man comes from old English, and 'woman' means 'lesser man.' Change the spelling and change the meaning." Whenaskedif the spelling of the name hinders prospective students from joining the group, Beatty responded, "It encouragescertain people and it discourages other people, and that's the problem with it. You could say that the kind of people who are really interested in contributing to the women's centre are 'y' people and that feminismis a big issue in their lives and you could also say that we're the Womyn's centre and we want everybody! We shouldn't be subliminallyselectingpeople." The environment in the Womyn's Centre is always friendly and non-threatening and Beatty encourages everyone, male or female, to drop by. "People just walk through the hallway andsee the door open. They come in andaskus questions and we answer them and maybe they never come back again. But that's good, because they know what we're all about.. or people will come in and their like 'Oh wow, that's cool' and we've had a couple of volunteers that began this term by just walking by." Located in Room 2102 ofthestudent Lifecentre, the Womyn's Centremeets every Wednesdayat 4:3Op.m. Everyone is welcome.
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lmprint wants to thank the following people for their contribution to the lmprint special Montreal Massacre edition. Unfortunately not all submissions were used, however, your help is still greatly appreciated.
Brenda Beatty Susan Bubak Catharine Burns Brian Code Andrea Coren Alastair Farrugia Alison Gardner Sarah Jane Gorlitz Professor Art Green Hala Khalaf Bill Lennox Alison Lindsay Sheila McMath Greg Macdougall Melanie Mihalcius Danielle Raymond MelanieStu~arvk J
Cover art by Mary Wong Cover designed by Billy Tung Picture taken by Felix Yip Insert Coordinator: Nicole Fawcette
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DECEMBER 6TH MEMORIAL
Imprint Special Edition
Scholarships available to female engineering students MELANIE: STUPARYKscholarships at different academic levels encour - womc:n in purImprint staff suit of an educationin the n event as cold and calcu- field of engineering. It lated as the murder of the 14 also rewards institutions female engineeringstudents and companiesthat have at L'Ecole Polytechnique in Mon- encouraged women to treal in 1989 is terrifying. It was pursue careers in engifrightening and tragic, and in retro- neering. CEMF offers up to spect it would be an equal tragedy if as a result of that malicious act, fe- five $5,000 scholarships male students began to reconsider at the undergraduate their choices and dreams of entering level to women entering the field of engineering out of fear first year engineering programs, and one for their lives. After the tragedy schools and $15,000 scholarship at organizations became increasingly the.graduate level. These scholarships aware of the need to make their environments more welcom~ngand were established to enencouraging to female students and courage women to purto womenin engineering. As a result, sue engineering and as a they began taking steps to make en- result continue to make gineeringprograms, aswell asother important contributions programs, more female student to the field and to society. Students are chosen friendly. The 1989 Canadian Engineer- based on academic ingMemorial Foundation (CEMF), record, community inan affiliate of the Canadian Council volvement and leaderof Professional Engineers (CCPE), shipactivities. The appliwas founded in memory of the cants chosen will be role women who lost their lives on De- modelsfor other students cember 6, 1 9 8 9 a t Ecole and must take an active Polytechnique. Itsgoalis to encour- role in promotingwomen age and provide opportunity to in engineering through Canadian students who choose to initiatives with the pursue careers in engineering, espe- CEMF. AnEngineeringStudentsProject ciallywomen. Each year it offers awards and Award of $5,000 is awarded annu-
ally. by. the CEMF to the team of university engineeringstudents who
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developthe most effective outreach program to excite and attract high
school students (esoeciallywomen) to enginleering programs. The Elsie MacGill Award is awarded annually to the university that has taken the most significant steps to improve the learning environment and atmosphere for female engineerlng students, as well as steps to ensure continuing improvement in the future. A Corporate Award is also given out annually to the company who hasmade the most contribution to promote the advancement and participation of women in the field of engineering. AlthoughUWdoesn't have any special awards or scholarships set up in memory of the womenwho diedat Ecole Polytechnique, it does participate by nominating female undergraduate students and graduate students for the awards offered by the CEMF. AUW undergrad mdent, Joelle Pineau, was a recipient of one of the $5,000 awards in 1997. UW does, however, have awards and scholarships. such as the Doreen Brisbon Award, set up to encourage female students, and other minori-
B R E N D A BEATTY special to lmprint
T Crushing bumble bees because I was afraid of being me Three years old and we sat around discussing suicide Our mothers lie about the bruises but we had bigger eyes and even larger ears, and her tears and our fears nothing in the larger scheme of things moving..... I could play with the boys and pray for children to be children sexless and apple eating without the blame or shame transition: Unlike the bumble bee he did not die after the first sting defenseless defense and my blue sneaker held no ground to his intrusive penetration
That dyke ..with unshaven legs ..with unshaven pits ..with a butch cut ..and an ugly face That ditz ..with no smarts ..just stupid ..but it doesn't matter ..cause she's hot like lava That slut ..with legs spread wide ..for any guy that comes along ..with even her friends not liking her ..or maybe jealous
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and so, on goes the larger scheme...... of things moving -Greg
A child's mind is not so small yet not as tall so remember the next time you break her will, it is your blindness that will grow with your children's eyes I will go on crushing bumble bees broken and strong
-Danielle
Raymond
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Macdougall
he personal is political. This phrase has embodied the second wave of feminism and still represents the fundamental truths of the feminist struggle, 30 years later. Recently, I have read news reports, editorials, examined my own memoriesanddiscussedwith others the Montreal Massakre and realized that this statement servesas an appropriate description of this event.
lease that I have discov Lepine'smotive for those savageattackswas his failure to gain acceptance into that engineering school, that he had a difficultchildhood,or wasa failure during the period that he spent in the CanadianArmed Forces. I object to this trend of making these causes very situation specific and addressed at a micro-level. Lepine systematically attacked specific students that afternoon because they were women in a society where this violence is perpetuated daily, yet remains unaddressed and unresolved. Unfortunately, we live in a global communitythat systematizesmisogyny. In Canada, however, we alsohave chosen to actively deny this
ties, enrolledin programs dominated by men. The Karen Mark Scholarship, named for an engineering student at UW who passed away, was established in her memory by her parents (with no connection to the 1989 tragedy) and awards an outstanding third year female engineering student with a $1,000 scholarship annually. CCPE research shows that women are now enteringthe fieldof engineeringin recordnumbers.The CEMF plays avery important role in ensuring thatwomen continue to be supported in their career or field of choice. 24 per cent of all professional engineers born after 1970 and 20 percent of students enrolled in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs (1998-99) were women. By raising awareness about equal opportunity and by encouraging throughscholarship and award, the CEMF is helping women have the chanceto achieve their dreams in memory of those who had their chance stolen away. For more details on scholarships and awards offered by the CEMF, visit the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers Web site a t www.ccpe.ca. For informationon scholarships offered by UW, contact the.Scholarship and Awards Office.
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fundamental truth. Most people are under the impression that Canadian culture proudly celebratesdiversity; we are all free to develop our own potential and to achieve success. These beliefscontrastmarkedlywith the fact that women still earn an averageof seventy-two cents of every dollar that a man earns, and that women are murdered and battered daily by their male partners. It isunfortunate that our natlon has required one particularly horrendous act in order to initiate a significant reaction to this ongoing oroblem. What exactly does this say about the memory span of our culture? Another issue that arises around the memorial is that the victim's family and others feel that the media and other have usedthis event (which is certainly devastating to them) to promote apoliticaVsocialagenda. In fact, one of the victim's names was not released to the press for several years after the massacre because the family feared this reaction. I think that it is important in these circumstances to realise that by remembering a specificinstance, so much consciousness-raising can be facilitated and hopefully, social change can be initiated. It may sound cliche, but a personal tragedy can be used to promote the greater good.
DECEMBER 6TH MEMORIAL
your mf.cly is our ANDREA COREN special to lmprint
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hether you arrive as a first-year student, scared out of your mind, or ready to buckle down and finally get an education, or come prepared to karn all the ~ossiblewavs to drink beer, you are welcomed in high spirits. Then, maybe you absolutely fall inlove with your courses. Maybe you hate your program. Maybe you get involvedwith every activityyou can, or maybe you think you'll go crazy missing your home. Whatever position you find yourself in, you think, rhis ismy university lifethat I paid for, so let's get through the year. Then, yousurvivethe year.You come back. And back. And one day, you getto wear the stylishblackgown m d cap and leave the school never havingtoknowwho peoplelikeMatt Errckson are. But maybe you do. Perhapsone day your ex-boyfriend begins showmgup after your classes, the ones he's not in. He's around every corner,
GOMGGTM
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calling you all night, crying, threatening. Perhaps the b~ysin~your residence find out that you're homosexual, and won't leave you alone. They startcallingyou 'girlfriend' and make bad Barbara Streisandjokes. If you're one of theunluckyones, sometime in your career here your life is touched by harassment. Thisiswhere people like Matt come in. Matt Erickson's official title is 'Coordinator of the Office of Ethical Behaviour and Human Rights,' but he jokes that he often feels like a traffic director. He is an entry-point, the first step many people take toget their cases of harassment dealtwith. The person who makes sure that Policy 33, which outlines each student and staffs right to a comfortable environment,is followed. Matt helps point people in the direction they shouldgo togetthecounselling or sometimesthe police involvement they are seeking. While he can help on both these accounts, he can also help someone approach another resourcesuch as Counselling or Health
Services, the Ombudsperson, Campus Police, or other sepices. While education isa main focus, withinformationabout handlingcases of harassmentprovided duringFrosh Week and throughout the year, Matt recognizes that there are still many students and staff afraid to come forward. It is a problem he names the "power imbalance," where people are being harassed by othersin higher power, such as a boss or a professor, and may even begin to question if they are in a position to complain. Sometimes,when balancing the "cost vs. the gains" of complaining, some people may feel that the cost is much too high. Over the last fewyears, Matt has witnessed a shift in perception regarding cases of harassment on campus: "I am finding a more educated system with adesire to deal with these things effectively. No longer is there the mindset, 'How can we quiet these things down?' " Matt is located in the Math 6 ComputerBuilding, room 4049.
after being raped. Ghazalawasset on fire and burned to death, reportedly by her brother, inJoharabad onJanuary 6,1999, because her family suspected she was having an illicit relationship with a neighbour. Her burned and naked body reportedly lay unattended on the street for two hours as nobody wanted to have anything to do with it. On April 6,1999,29-year-old Samia Sarwar was shot dead in her lawyer's office in Lahore, in a killing openly carried out with her mother's participation. She was seeking divorce after 10yearsof maritalabuse. Jamilla, a retarded 16-year old girl, was shot dead in March 1999 after she told her tribe that she had been raped. The tribal council of elders decided that she should die as she had brought shame on the tribe. Police almost invariably take the man's side in honour killings or domestic murders, and rarely prosecute the killers. Even when the men are convicted, the judiciary ensures that they usually receive alight sentence.
religious police as suspected moral offenders. They are not allowed to go anywhere, or leave the country without a male guardian (muhram) or his written consent. In Afghanistan, women facesimilarrestrictions, while in Yemen, women prisoners are detainedindefinitelyuntil a male guardian "collects" them. These are all violations of the right to freedom of movement, and they can also make it that much more difficult for women victims of domestic violence to seek protection or redress, without risking further abuse. Statisticsfrom the last few years show that women in Saudi Arabia represent 55 per cent of university graduates. They own 40 per cent of private wealth, own 15,000 commercial establishments,yet can not publicly administer or be part of any dealingsregarding their business. They must be represented by a male relativeor a wakil shar'iy (attorney). ToseeAmnestyIntemationalnews releases relatedto women,go to: http:llweb.amnesty.orglai.nsfl THEMESIWOMEN.
ALABTAIR FARRUGIA special to lmprint
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he Montreal Massacre of December 6, 1989 came as a great shock to Canada- 14 women murdered precisely because they were women. No similar massa:re has occurred in Canada since then, although hundreds of women have died as a result of domestic violence, victims of sexist attitudes that are stillwidespread, even if they are not officially endorsed. Across the world, however, women continue to suffer torture (including rape), murder and violation of their fundamental human rights as a result of government officiallycondoned discrimination in society, or deliberate campaigns aimed at women by armed groups. The following is a brief overview of just some of these situations. his by no meansacomprehensive list, nor does it necessarily contain the "worstnabuses (insofaras they can be ranked at all), but is meant to raise awareness about blatant, preventable acts of misogyny. Organizedrape
In the civil war still raging in Sierra Leone, thousands of women mf all ages have been raped and abducted. Often they have been forced eo become the sexual partner or "wife" of combatants. Beyond the brutality and trauma of rape itself, wxual assault can result in serious physical injury, forced pregnancy, 3isease and even death.
Honour Killings "The right to life of women in Pakistan isconditional on their obeyhgsocial norms and traditions," says Mina Jilani, Pakistani lawyer and &urnanrights - activist. There are sevzral cases of women being killed by h e i r own relatives in Pakistan after k i n g accused of adultery, or after w i n g to obtain a divorce, or even
lmprint Special Edition
Massivedixrlrnination
In SaudiArabia, women can not walk alone even in their own neighbourhood without the fear of being stopped, beaten or detained by the
why isit all-encompassing? Returning to Young's main argument, we see that oppression is he occurrence of violence socially and structurally constructed 1 againstwomen has beenex- and sanctioned. She writes that, "violence is a 1 aminedin many ways. One theoretical explanation deals with socialpractice. Itisasocialgiventhat the issue of opeveryone pression. Strucknows happens and will turally, socially construe-ted h a p p e n andsanctioned, again." WOM are oppression alAlso, the relalows violence tions of power ta@9ted fbr against women and dominato occur. tion between v;o/~#c~ IrisMarion the sexes in society often deYoung discusses SO/* because termine the these ideas in her book, Justiceand thePoliwomen reticsofLltfference. ceive. She argues that This is a strucoppression detural basis for nies people of their basic human oppression and therefore violence. right to be free. Violence, particuYoung writes, "Many accounts larly against women, certainly fits of sexistviolenceattempt toexplain under that rubric, because withvio- its motivation as a desire to maintain lence comes fear, uncertainty, and group privilege or domination." A isolation, all of which deny freedom sad correlation can be made between of movement, expression, etc, and thisideaand the events that occurred is therefore oppressive. on December 6,1989. Young emphasizesthat oppresOne can hardly expect violence sion is particularlypervasiveagainst against women to stop, or even dewomen by explaining that women crease, without addressing theprejuare targeted for violence solely dices, sexism, and tolerateddiscrimibecause they are women, members nation that underlie any act of opof a specific group. pression, and by extension,violence. She says "every woman. ..has Aslong aswomen continue to be a reason to fear rape. The oppres- oppressed, through such things as sivenessof violenceconsistsnotonly exploitive representations, wage disin direct victimization, but in the crepancies, power imbalances, et daily knowledgeshared by all mem- cetra, they will alwaysbe stuckin the bers of oppressed groups that they shadow of violence simply because are liable to violation, solely on ac- they are women, and society will be count of their group identity." unable to truly criticize this position Many women will affirmthese without the occurrence of a fundastatements. But why does this sort mental, structural change of beliefs of oppressive violence occur, and and power. ALISON GARDN ER special to Imprint
Local Resources and information (On Campus) UW Womyn's Centre UWSafety Van UW Walksafe GLOW (Gays and Lesbiansof Waterloo) Health and Safety Counselling Services VP Student Issues Chaplain's Office UW Police Services Legal Resource Office Ombudsperson Office for Persons with Disabilities (Community Resources) K-W Sexual Assault Centre (24hr.) K-W Crisis Clinic (24hr.) SexualAssaultTreatmentCentre(24h~at St. Mary's Hospital) Anselma House Crisis Centre Saint Monica's House
ext. 3457 ext. 3867 ext. 4949 888-4569 ext. 4096 ext. 2655 ext. 6331 ext. 3633 ext. 491 1 ext. 4634 ext. 2402 ext. 5082 741-8633 742-3611 749-9664 742-5894 743-0291
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