We are participants of the women’s centre Femmes du monde à Côte-des-Neiges. Last Sunday, December 6th, we presented at the Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges the result of a series of meetings with the artist Diane Trépanière. Together we sought a way of joining her creation and of bringing our opinions feelings and indignation in the face of this event confronting the violence which touches women.
This violence which strikes women because they are women.
This violence is a phenomenon of society and has an impact on all of society.
We women of the world we were born in Quebec or we come from afar. Some among us were in Montreal on December 6th 1989 others heard about this tragedy after they had immigrated. Some have recently discovered this event.
We are full with burning questions. Why the women are they still targeted? Why does our society our system and way of education still not teach equality? Why the equality is still not universally accepted? Why is “feminist” a dirty word? Why do people still fear women taking their place in the society? What are you afraid of?
December 6th 1989. We did not think that that could happens in Quebec in Canada in a democracy. On December 6th it was not an accident the school of engineering was chosen. In society engineers are builders and these women wanted to become engineers. They wanted to be builders.
We choose to represent ourselves with boxes. So these boxes represent all women builders. Each woman prepared a box. Each box has many meanings. But each box stands for a stronger message than it’s contents.
Together we want to say that we are here for the courage of the commemoration. To pay a homage to you 14 young women because we could have been any one of you.
We want to say to you that we continue to fight. More especially as today we are likely to lose the law which brought into existence the Canadian Gun Register. A law a direct consequence of December 6th 1989 and so important in the fight against the violence made to the women!
We want to say to you that though you are gone you are not forgotten.
We are angry but anger it is also life!
We hope, always, that the voices of all the women can be heard that all the women can have their place in society here and elsewhere. Thanks to Diane Trépanière for including us in her artistic installation, thanks to the public that listened us with all his heart, thanks to our fund riser that made this work possible.
We invite you to bear witness to this installation an offering to all women who continue to fight at the price of their life for a better world. This installation will be at the Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges located in 5290, Côte-des-Neiges à Montréal until January 17th 2010.
