PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 14, 2013 (Ottawa, ON) - The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) fully supports all the events taking place across Canada on February 14th—including Have a Heart Day, One Billion Rising and the Memorial March movement. "I acknowledge all the leadership and dedication that has mobilized three powerful and heartfelt movements today. February 14th holds special significance today as Canadians of all walks of life, from teachers, to school children, to grassroots Aboriginal women, to advocates everywhere are lending support to celebratory events nationwide,” states NWAC President Michèle Audette.

 

Celebrate Have a Heart Day by encouraging First Nations children to grow up safely at home, get a good education, be healthy, and proud of their cultures. Have a Heart Day is organized by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFS) and encourages the sending of Valentines or letters supporting Have a Heart Day to the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, or by hosting a Valentine’s Day party to raise awareness in your school or community, or by spreading the word through social media. For more information on Have a Heart Day visit http://www.fncaringsociety.com/have-a-heart.

 

The One Billion Rising campaign was born out of a pre-existing annual movement developed by the widely known and highly acclaimed feminist activist, Eve Ensler, who is also the playwright behind the now infamous play, The Vagina Monologues. Fifteen years ago, Ensler declared February 14th as V-Day: a movement that engages the arts and creativity to increase awareness and raise funds to combat violence against women and girls. Since 2013 marks V-Day's fifteenth anniversary, One Billion Rising was launched as a more ambitious campaign to commemorate these fifteen years. The name of the campaign takes into account the staggering statistic that 1 out of 3 women will experience violence in their lifetime, which globally amounts to at least one billion women. Hence, this initiative calls on that one billion, and others in their support, to rise and take a stand to eliminate this violence once and for all. More information about One Billion Rising, can be found on at http://onebillionrising.org/.

 

The first Memorial March was held in 1991 by a grassroots organization of women from Vancouver's Downtown East Side, Coast Salish Territorties. Angered and saddened by the disturbingly high number of missing and murdered women from their community, this group of women demonstrated their strength and commitment by choosing to honour the lives of those they lost. Valentine's Day was selected for the date of the Memorial March to express compassion, caring and love for those lost to violence. More than two decades have passed since the very first march and on the 22nd anniversary the movement is stronger than ever.  For detailed information on the 13 Memorial Marches taking place across Canada we suggest you visit the Women’s Memorial March website at http://womensmemorialmar