A coalition of women’s organizations in the community will be hosting a vigil service in Centretown’s Minto Park on Dec. 6.
The vigil will commemorate women in Ottawa who are missing or have been murdered, and the 14 women killed at École Polytechnique in the Montreal Massacre in 1989.
But for Suzanne Doerge, project co-ordinator for the City of All Women Initiative, which promotes diversity and gender equality in Ottawa, this day will also serve as a reminder of the inequality women still face.
Doerge will be particularly concerned with the proposed cuts to women’s programming in the recently tabled budget.
“Right now, there is a cost of living increase for each community organization who is funded by the city, but one of the things they’re planning to do is cut that,” says Doerge.
She says these funding cuts will impact issues of violence against women because programs such as the Rape Crisis Centre and the Women’s Initiative for Safer Environments (WISE) will not get a cost of living increase, forcing them to cut services they currently provide for women in need.
Based in Centretown, WISE is one of the women’s organizations involved in planning the vigil.
Valerie Collicott, policy and administration co-ordinator at WISE, says budget cuts will definitely affect the organization. The cost of living allowance should increase with inflation, but the budget proposal suggests funding for women’s programs stay frozen at last year’s level.
Collicott says this means their waiting lists will become longer, and they won’t be able to offer as many workshops as needed.
Erin Williams, executive director of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, will be addressing city council about funding issues on Dec. 2.
One of the concerns she will speak to is the proposed elimination and reduced service of certain bus routes, a concern near the top of Doerge’s list as well.
“Women will be waiting longer times at bus stops and walking longer distances between bus stops – there is definitely a safety concern there,” said Doerge.
Doerge says that cutting these routes will also make it more difficult for women to leave situations of violence at home if these services are less accessible or more costly to use.
Zeina Osman relies on bus travel to get to and from work. She says knowing that some of her routes might be cut or eliminated makes her feel unsafe.
“Winter just started, so that means it’s going to get dark around 4 p.m., so it definitely would be unsafe to be waiting for a bus or taking two trips instead of just taking one straight bus home,” she says.
Williams says 15 women have been violently murdered in Ontario since Jan. 2008. Statistics such as this are the reason why she feels it’s so important that programs are properly funded and women have access to the resources they need.
The vigil to commemorate these deaths will take place Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. in Minto Park at Elgin and Gilmour streets.