35 years ago, Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte, Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz, and Anne-Marie Lemay lost their lives due to the tragic mass feminicide at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal. It is our duty to remember their names and continue our mission to end gender-based violence. Lay a rose in remembrance, but do not stay silent like a rose. 

At YWCA Canada, roses represent more than just sentiment—we are calling for meaningful action that will save lives. Together, let’s transform the symbolic gesture of a rose into a beacon of change and work towards ending the violence that continues to impact countless lives across Canada. Everyone has the power to make a difference.

Here are 4 ways to participate in the Rose Campaign and make your voice heard. 

• YWCA Canada has developed engagement toolkits for schools and universities, office jobs, and field jobs filled with tools, resources, and recommendations on how you commemorate the victims of Ecole Polytechnique and make a significant impact in creating safer and more equitable environments for women, girls, and gender diverse people. Click here to download and share them widely across your networks.  

• YWCA Canada provides services across Canada, such as the NESS Fund which provides survivors and their families with financial support to leave unsafe homes or emergency shelters or precarious housing situations. Or YWCA’s Anti-Gender-Based Violence Staff Network, a national, free, bilingual online community of practice, which is a space where members come together to share their expertise, discuss trends, network, and stay up to date on emerging issues.  

• As part of our campaign, we call on all elected officials to address gender-based violence and intimate partner violence as a high priority. Frontline organizations are working tirelessly to support survivors as well as their families by providing resources and programming informed by the unique needs of each community. However, the needs in communities are increasing each day while funding remains stagnant. While Rose can’t speak, YOU can. Send a letter to your MPs to make your voice heard and demand action.  

• Let’s spread the word to everyone, be loud, be visible of your support, share the Roses Can’t Speak, but We Can’ Campaign across your social channels. Tag @ywcacanada on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, and add #2024RoseCampaign to join the conversation. Click HERE to access graphics.

We can all continue to strive towards the eradication of all forms of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence to create a better future for women, girls, and gender diverse people. Together, we can turn quiet symbols of roses into loud and powerful catalysts for change.