30th Annual Feb. 14 Women’s Memorial March
30TH ANNUAL FEB 14 WOMEN’S MEMORIAL taking place in the unceded xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) territories (please scroll down for meeting place and starting time details)
My name is Seema Ahluwalia and I am your KFA representative for Decolonization, Indigenization and Reconciliation. I would like to inform you about an important community event that is happening this weekend.
This is the 30th year of the February 14 Women’s Memorial March, a space for Indigenous families and community members to come together and grieve the devastating loss of their beloved women and girls, and to remember the precious women and girls whose lives have ended in violence and destitution in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and across this continent. The event has resonated with communities around the world, is recognized internationally by UNESCO, and is widely endorsed by the labor movement, including your KFA, as well as governments, and other local and national organizations.
In an interview with The Tyee today, Myrna Cranmer, a member of the Women’s Memorial March organizing committee, mourned the deaths of more than 50 women in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver in 2020 alone, and decried the way their lives and suffering are rendered invisible. Evidence from Reclaiming Power and Place: Final Report of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry (2019) and a report commissioned by the BC government entitled In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care (2020) confirm the ongoing racism embedded in Canadian institutions that results in experiences of dehumanization and discrimination for Indigenous people. Yet the reality of ongoing colonial oppression is often met with willful ignorance, denial and racist backlash. Meanwhile, little action on decades of promises has been taken to address the catastrophic consequences of colonization and gendered violence against Indigenous women and girls on their families, communities and nations.
At this year’s March, COVID-19 protocols are in effect and masks and social distancing will be required. There will be no indoor events, and volunteer guardians of the March will be handing out masks and reminding participants to maintain social distancing.
The Women’s Memorial march will take place on Sunday, February 14, 2021 in the unceded xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) territories. Family and community members will gather first at 10:30 am (Main and Hastings) The March starts at 12 pm from Carnegie Community Centre (Intersection of Main and Hastings in Vancouver).
If you cannot attend but would like to support in another way, or if you want more information, contact:
Juanita: 604-616-7922
Carol: 236-512-4511
Wendy: 604.725.3953
Summer-Rain: 604-652-1867
Myrna Cranmer: 778.869.7200