VZCZCXRO4179
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #1546/01 3462154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 112154Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8847
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0198
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001546 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CAN, G/IWI (ANDREA BOTTNER AND SAUNDRA 
LINEBERRY), AND G/TIP (BARBARA FLECK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KWMN KPAO PHUM CA
SUBJECT: MISSION CANADA PROMOTES AWARENESS OF GENDER-BASED 
VIOLENCE 
 
REF: A. STATE 104830 
     ¶B. OTTAWA 1361 
 
¶1. (U)  Summary:  Mission Canada marked the International Day 
for the Elimination of Violence Against Women with a November 
25 digital video conference (DVC) that included an exchange 
of best practices among leading American, Canadian, and 
Portuguese governmental, NGO, and law enforcement experts. 
Mission Canada had earlier also hosted an August 20 DVC 
focusing on domestic violence in aboriginal communities. 
Mission Canada marked the 16 Days of Activism Against 
Gender-Based Violence by placing an op-ed by the State 
Department's Office of International Women's Issues (G/IWI) 
Director Andrea Bottner in leading Canadian national 
newspapers, and by visiting a shelter for victims of domestic 
violence.  The Canadian Prime Minister on the December 6 
National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against 
Women issued a statement honoring memories of all women who 
died as a result of violence and to do all possible to end 
such violence.   End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  In response to ref a, Embassy Ottawa and ConGen 
Halifax marked the November 25 International Day for the 
Elimination of Violence against Women with a DVC on 
gender-based violence, featuring experts from G/IWI, the U.S. 
Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
and Embassy Lisbon.  The discussion shared best practices 
among experts in Canada, the U.S., and Portugal.  Issues 
included the Violence Against Women Act and the effectiveness 
of culturally-based programs in prevention.  Cecilia Van 
Egmond, Chairperson of the Canada's Interdepartmental Working 
Group on Family Violence and Manager of the Canadian Public 
Health Agency's Family Violence Prevention Unit, provided an 
overview of Canadian policy and preventive measures.  Ruth 
Campbell, Chairperson of the Ontario provincial government's 
Victims of Crime Office, described Ontario's efforts to 
prevent and combat family violence, while an Ottawa police 
representative presented a law enforcement perspective.  NGO 
representatives from human rights and faith-based 
organizations attended.  Nova Scotia provincial governmental 
experts offered lessons learned from Halifax. 
 
¶3.  (U)  A Mission Canada-sponsored complementary DVC on 
domestic violence in aboriginal communities (ref b) had 
already taken place on August 20, including participants in 
Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec City, Whitehorse, and 
Yellowknife, as well as in the First Nation and Inuit 
communities of Iqaluit and Rankin Inlet.  The DVC featured 
Kelly Stoner, Director of the Native American Legal Resource 
Center and Clinical Programs at the Oklahoma City University 
School of Law.  The event included a lively discussion on the 
sharing of best practices for combating and preventing 
domestic violence in aboriginal communities. 
 
¶4.  (U)  In addition to DVCs, Mission Canada's public affairs 
sections raised awareness of violence against women through 
the national media.  ConGen Montreal placed an op-ed by G/IWI 
Director Bottner in the December 9 issue of French-language 
newspaper "Le Devoir," and ConGen Vancouver placed the op-ed 
in the November 21 issue of the "Vancouver Sun."  As part of 
the "16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence,"  On 
December 9, poloff and a visiting G/TIP official visited the 
Interval House in Ottawa, a shelter for victims of domestic 
QInterval House in Ottawa, a shelter for victims of domestic 
violence and trafficking in persons, meeting with both the 
shelter director and victims (septel). 
 
¶5.  (U)  The Canadian government is partnering with the 
Native Women's Association of Canada on a five year "Sisters 
In Spirit" initiative (2005-2010) to improve the situation of 
aboriginal women and prevent violence in aboriginal 
communities, in particular the high rates of missing and 
murdered aboriginal women.  On November 20, federal Minister 
of State for the Status of Women Helen Guergis signed the UN 
Development Fund for Women's (UNIFEM) "Say No to Violence" 
campaign in support of the International Day for the 
Elimination of Violence Against Women and the 16 Days of 
Activism against Gender Violence.  On December 6, Prime 
Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on the "National 
Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women," 
which Parliament established in 1991.  Full text in para 6. 
 
¶6.  (U)  Begin text 
Statement by PM Harper on Canada's National Day of 
Remembrance and Action on Violence against Women, 2008 
 
OTTAWA 00001546  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
December 6, 2008 
 
December 6, 1989 was a tragic day in our history.  In what 
came to be known as the Montreal Massacre, 14 bright, 
talented young women were shot and killed in the halls and 
classrooms of their school, l'Ecole Polytechnique de 
Montreal.   The victims of this terrible crime were targeted 
solely because they were women. 
 
This tragedy sent shockwaves of grief and anger across Canada 
and beyond, and the outrage felt by so many fuelled a 
determination by Canadians to work together to end violence 
against women. 
 
With this tragedy etched on our hearts, December 6th is set 
aside each year as Canada's National Day of Remembrance and 
Action on Violence against Women.  It is a reminder that we 
must continue to work to end violence in all its forms. 
 
On this 19th commemoration of that painful day in 1989, I 
urge Canadians to honour the memories of all women who have 
died as a result of  violence, and to do what they can to 
work to end violence in all its forms. 
End text 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS