The Women’s Centre asked a crucial question this year when considering how to commemorate the December 6 Montreal Massacre—who’s at risk? What groups of women today are experiencing violence? They decided that although they wanted to honour the original victims, there were many women enduring violence who weren’t being recognized.
Tara Atluri, coordinator of the Women’s Centre, commented that “violence is taken to be normal in marginalized groups.” So the Women’s Centre organized a series of events to foster awareness about all kinds of violence against women. In workshops and forums throughout last week, they addressed violence in queer relationships, abuse concerning women of colour, anti-semitism and emotional and mental abuse. With the December 6 events, the Women’s Centre hoped to communicate to these marginalized groups, but also to reach people in the U of T community or the greater Toronto Area.
On the anniversary of the massacre, the Women’s Centre threw a party to celebrate survival. Atluri described the party as a chance to “put a positive spin on the event.” She also hoped they could reach individuals who didn’t necessarily consider themselves a part of December 6. The party brought together the efforts and energy of the whole week. In the relaxed atmosphere of the Women’s Centre, more than a dozen women came to hear performers and capture the week’s spirit of candour in confronting violence against women.
Chips and condoms were served as Atluri commented on violence in communities of colour. She read several spoken-word poems that meditated on how racial discrimination has severe consequences in the home. She challenged the genuineness of our pride in multi-culturalism when mainstream culture separates itself from these problems.
Rebeka Tabobondung, who was recently published in “Nation to Nation,” contemplated indigenous issues. In her poems she discussed the need for both the colonizer and colonized to change in order to reconcile. Her words echoed the week’s message that both women and men need to develop in order to stop violence.
The audience warmly welcomed the poets. Daphne Kean, a prospective student, came to experience women getting together.
“I just wanted to see that other kinds of activities are happening with women,” she said.
Angela, who said she’s usually a student, observed that women need to support each other in the face of violence. She and Daphne both selected this event to attend out of the Women’s Centre’s week of activities.
