December 05, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario

The following is a statement by Prime Minister Paul Martin on the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women 2005, marking the 16th anniversary of the murder of 14 young women at École polytechnique de Montréal.

"On December 6th, 1989, 14 young women at École polytechnique de Montréal were murdered for a single reason - because they were women. Since 1991, we have commemorated this anniversary as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

Our thoughts today are with each of their families; with all of their friends, and all those whose lives they touched and who miss them. Although so many years have passed since that horrific day, their memory is as strong as ever, and so is our sense of loss.

But our will remains strong, and as we think today of the women and girls who still face violence in their homes or the threat of it in their lives, we recommit ourselves to the effort to end all gender violence in our society."