Calgary March for Murdered and Missing Women set for February 14

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Feb. 14, 2013) - This Thursday, February 14, the Calgary Fifth Annual Valentine's Day Women's Memorial March for Murdered and Missing Women will honor the humanity of the thousands of women who have been so cruelly wrenched from their families.

Dozens of victims' friends and family members will be in attendance, along with hundreds of other community members.

"People forget that the murdered and missing women were mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts and nieces and, above all, human beings and part of Canadian society," says spokesperson Suzanne Dzus.

ATTENTION: CALGARY MEDIA AND ASSIGNMENT EDITORS FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013:

The march will commence Thursday, February 14, at 6 p.m. at Scarboro United Church, 134 Scarboro Ave. S.W. The march is part of a nation-wide movement to remember all women who have been murdered or who have disappeared. It is also meant to draw attention to the disproportionate numbers of Aboriginal women who are no longer with us.

"People forget that the women leave behind families who will who will forever grieve their loved one," says Dzus.

"A society that allows this level of violence against one particular group is ultimately bad for everyone. We should think about whether we want to raise our children and grandchildren in a country where this kind of violence is acceptable."

The organizing committee welcomes everyone interested in honoring the women. Doors open at 6 p.m., speeches at 6:30, with the march departing at 7 p.m. Out of respect to the deceased women, organizations are asked to leave their banners at home.

BACKGROUND STATISTICS:

• Some estimate that 600 Aboriginal women are missing; others put the figure more like 3,000.
  
  
• Indigenous women are five times more likely to die as a result of violence than any other group of women in Canada.
  
  
• Unlike most women who are at greatest risk of being assaulted by an intimate partner, Indigenous women are equally at risk of being assaulted by a stranger; a clear indication of the racist and sexist underpinnings of violence against Aboriginal women.
  
  
• Because of the continuing effects of the Indian Act, Indigenous women face insecurities related to housing, health, employment, and access to services both on and off the reserve; making them more vulnerable to violence.
  
  
• In recent years, the Canadian government has made significant cuts to programs designed to combat violence against women. Most notable was the decision in 2010 to cease funding to Sisters in Spirit, which was creating a database of the cases of the murdered and missing women.
  

(Statistics from the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, and Amnesty International)

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO CONTACT THE FAMILIES OF SURVIVORS: