British Columbia Federation of Labour

As Canada prepares to mourn the 14 young women killed at l'École Polytechnique de Montréal on December 6, 1989, the B.C. Federation of Labour is releasing a Community Toolkit to Stop Violence Against Women in our province.

"This Kit will give people strategies and tools that they can use in their own communities to begin to tackle violence against women," says Angela Schira, Secretary-Treasurer of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

The Kit includes background information, lobbying tools and organizing strategies to create change in communities around British Columbia.

The Federation is calling on local governments to work with women in their community to conduct safety audits and take concrete measures to make their communities safer for women.

The Federation is also calling on the provincial government to restore and expand funding for important public services on which many women and their families depend.

"We know that tough economic times often lead to an increase in domestic violence," Schira added. "The Campbell government has systematically slashed funding to important services including violence prevention services, legal aid, transition houses, employment and re-training services and counselling services. These are cruel, short sighted cuts that are hurting some of the most vulnerable people in our province."

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For more information: Evan Stewart
Director of Communication (604) 430-1421.