Remarks by
The Honourable Anita Neville, P.C., O.M.
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
Government House
Thursday, November 28, 2024
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Fellow Manitobans, welcome to Government House and this opportunity to stand together with women and girls around the world and around the block.
As Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, I am pleased to acknowledge first that we are gathered on Treaty 1 land and in the heartland of the Red River Metis and that our province is located on the treaty territories and ancestral lands of the Anishininew (ANISH-IN-INEW), Cree, Dakota, Dene, Nehetho (NE-HET-HO) Nation nations and the homeland of the Red River Métis. As well, Manitoba includes northern lands that were and are the ancestral lands of the Inuit.
As Manitobans, we respect the spirit and intent of treaties and treaty making and remain committed to working in partnership with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people in the spirit of truth, reconciliation and collaboration.
When we say that we are committed to a better future for Manitobans and for all Canadians, we speak of a healthy, just and free society that offers opportunities to all.
But none of those positive attributes will truly apply to all as long as gender-based violence blights so many lives. There is no freedom for a woman or girl who lives in fear. There is no justice and there are no opportunities for one who has had her life taken from her.
And so this annual campaign – 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence – is an opportunity for us to work toward the society we want to live in, in our province, our country and our world.
Tonight, we will have the opportunity to examine gender-based violence and steps taken to prevent it. We’re fortunate to be able to hear a variety of viewpoints from women who have expertise with this issue in all of its social, political, economic and legal implications.
There is, of course, much we need to learn as a society,
We need to determine how to prevent young men and boys from being indoctrinated into the misogyny that fuels this violence, and how to reform and rehabilitate those who commit it. We need to provide supports for women – both so that they can escape violence and control and so that they can avoid the dependence that makes them vulnerable.
We need to build strong, healthy communities where the seeds of violence will not take root.
Tonight’s speakers have a wealth of wisdom to share with us.
We are fortunate to be able to learn from Madam Justice Lore Midwaldt of Manitoba Court of King’s Bench; Kendra Nixon, head of the family violence research network Resolve and professor of social work at the University of Manitoba; and Diane Redsky, community activist and member of the Winnipeg Police Board; as well as tonight’s moderator, Shannon Sampert, a political scientist and a lecturer at RRC Polytech.
Thank you for bringing your experience and knowledge to Government House. And thank you to all who have come out this evening to learn more about what we can do to make history – by making gender-based violence history.
Thank you. Merci. Meegwich. Shalom