When Crowds Cheer and A Woman’s Heart Be Still

In the wide wonderful world of sports, February 2010 already ranks high as the month of Winter Olympic™ Games in Vancouver, the NFL™ SuperBowl XLIV in Miami, and the UEFA EURO 2012™ qualifying draw in Warsaw. Yet none can carry a candle, Valentine card or coffin compared to men's favourite sport among amateur, college and professional players alike, vying for top honours in a spirit of good fellowship that knocks aside petty differences in language, colour and nationality.

It's not just another spectator sport with a taxpayer-funded-but-corporate-owned stadium and gladiator-dolls-on-steroids tearing their uniforms. Shucks, no! You know I'm talking about the international game of Whack a Woman, and ev’rybody can play.

Now I have the privilege of bringing you latest news on upcoming events outside the arena. Isn't that always where the real action is? So take out your imaginary red lipstick and draw little hearts on your virtual calendar to mark what no citizen journalist should miss:

from publicly posted notice for
the event of 14th February 2010
19th Annual Women's Memorial March

In January 1991 a woman was murdered on Powell Street in Vancouver. Her name is not spoken today out of respect for the wishes of her family. This woman's murder in particular was the catalyst that moved women into action. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came an annual march on Valentine's Day to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Coast Salish Territories.

Nineteen years later, the march continues to honour the lives of missing and murdered women. Increasing deaths of many vulnerable women from the DTES still leave family, friends, loved ones, and community members with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. Over 3000 women are known to have gone missing or been murdered in Canada since the 1970s. Last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued this statement: "Hundreds of cases involving aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in the past two decades have neither been fully investigated nor attracted priority attention."

This event is organized and led by women in the DTES because women, especially Indigenous women, face physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence on a daily basis. This is a memorial not a protest; it is a deeply emotional time for family members and women affected especially in Vancouver's DTES.

Of course the city of Vancouver has no monopoly on murdered and "missing" women. From Antigonish to Ciudad Juárez, in suburban and rural communities from North America to Seychelles, gender-motivated violence is a blood sport always played close to home. For those of us who refuse to stand on the sidelines, we can support the Vancover march in several ways, whether by sending donations, exchanging links, or organising a sister project in our community.

Just a few days ago, Kathryn shared a link to another peaceful demonstration in London:

from details on the event planned for Saturday, 6th March 2010
Million Women Rise March

Million Women Rise is a coalition of individual women and representatives from the Women's Voluntary and Community Sector who have come together to organise an annual national demonstration against male violence which coincides with International Women's Day in March each year. <---> The first demonstration in 2008 saw 5000 women and children take to the streets of London. It was the largest, recent demonstration of women in UK history and the most diverse demonstration many of us had ever attended. Because male violence continues, so too does Million Women Rise and women and children marched again in 2009.

Detractors may try to cast aspersions on the motives and results of such an effort. They may insist, "I read all about it in the news. What can one person like me do about it? Let the police and the courts handle it." The uncomfortable fact is that the majority of gender-based violence are not "handled" until after harm or murder already has been done. Even fewer are ever deemed worthy of reportage by news media.

Remembrance of these women and girls is the very least we must do.

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