The Okanagan College Students’ Union and various community groups will host an evening of discussion, remembrance and action tonight, Dec. 6, at the Penticton Campus of Okanagan College.

Dec. 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada. This
day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at L’Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal.

"Gender-based violence can affect us all. It damages families and imparts a heavy toll on our communities,”
said Anders Hoenisch, Internal Director of the Okanagan College Students’ Union, “Engaging men and boys is an essential component of realizing transformative change on the issue. I wear a white ribbon as a pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about gender-based violence."

The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the lecture theatre in the Ashnola Building and feature a panel discussion on gender-based violence as well as presentations from the South Okanagan Victims Assistance Society, Penticton and Area Women’s Centre and the Okanagan College Students’ Union on the work they do towards addressing gender-based violence.

Leading up to the event, the OCSU will be promoting the White Ribbon Campaign. The campaign
began in Canada in 1991 in response to the L’Ecole Polytechnique shooting, primarily as a method of educating
young boys and men on the problem of violence against women. The OCSU provides free white ribbons to its
members throughout the campaign.“