Government of Canada's commitment to
end violence committed in the name of "honour"
By the Honourable Rona Ambrose
In Canada, women and girls are equal to men and boys under the
law and all have the right to live free from violence and abuse. The
freedom and security to make one's own choices in life is a cornerstone of
Canadian democracy. Our government is committed to protecting women and
girls and other vulnerable persons from all forms of violence and to
holding offenders accountable for their acts. We have been very clear:
so-called "honour" killings are barbaric, and like all family
homicides, represent a serious violation of Canadian laws.
As Minister
for Status of Women, I am proud that our government continues to take
strong action to ensure the equality, safety and security of women and
girls in communities across Canada. We are committed to ending violence
against women and girls in all its forms, including violence committed in
the name of "honour."
Let me be
very clear: these forms of violence are the actions of individuals. They
can be distinguished from other forms of family violence because they are
often committed with some degree of approval and/or collusion on the part
of individual family members and/or others. As a result, victims have
fewer options for seeking help or leaving abusive situations.
All acts of
violence against women and girls are crimes, serious abuses of power and
severe violations of their dignity and human rights. I am proud that our
government stands against these heinous crimes and is making progress on
addressing these issues.
Our
government has been working with communities to improve safety and
security and has supported a number of important grassroots projects that
produce concrete results for women and girls in every part of the country.
For example, we supported a project in Edmonton that addresses violence
against women and girls, committed in the name of "honour". The
project educates and trains social workers, police officers and
prosecutors.
Our
government has also made important changes to the citizenship guide, Discover
Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship. The guide
includes information on common Canadian values such as democracy, human
rights and the rule of law. These values include the fair and equal
treatment of women and girls. The guide further stresses that "honour"
killings, female genital mutilation and acts of gender-based violence will
be severely punished.
I will
continue to work with communities across the country and with my
colleagues across all levels of government to explore additional measures
our government can take to protect vulnerable women and girls and to break
the cycle of violence. It is only by working together and by
enhancing our knowledge and understanding of this issue that we will end all
forms of violence against women and girls.
Rona
Ambrose is the Minister of Public Works and Government Services
and Minister for Status of Women.
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