Executive Council
November 23, 2017

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Siobhan Coady, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women:

Minister Coady Raises Awareness about Violence Against Women

Mr. Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House today to highlight that the Purple Ribbon flag will once again be raised at Confederation Building this coming Monday, November 27, at 1:00 p.m. This is to mark the beginning of the annual Purple Ribbon campaign to increase awareness and responsiveness to violence against women. The flag will remain in place until December 10, coinciding with the International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

Violence against women and girls is a very important issue for our province. The rate at which women and girls experience violence in our province and across the country is much too high. This must stop, and I extend my sincere sympathies to the women and their families that have been impacted by violence.

Mr. Speaker, our government continues to work to address the ways violence is perpetrated in our communities through initiatives that directly target violent behavior and fight social normalization of violence. We are working with representatives from the women’s community, regional coordinating committees against violence, the Indigenous community, as well as new immigrants to identify collaborative, culturally-appropriate ways to address this in our province and throughout Canada.

This includes continuing the work of the Action Plan for the Prevention of Violence in Newfoundland and Labrador, stakeholder consultations and engagement, regional outreach on violence prevention, continued financial support for the Indigenous Violence Prevention Grants Program, as well the Intimate Partner Violence Unit, which is a province-wide law enforcement effort.

Mr. Speaker, violence against women is simply unacceptable, in any form, or by any means. Violence is an issue that, unfortunately, has not yet been successfully eliminated. Together we must continue to make change happen by bringing our ‎collective voice and strength to address the many complex reasons why violence occurs. We must teach our children what is right and what is wrong.

We must work collectively to end violence so that all women and girls can live, work and play in a society where they feel safe, and can pursue their full potential. Thank you.

2017 11 23                              1:45 p.m.