Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: Honourable senators, I rise today to emphasize the importance of participating in the 12 days of action to end violence against women. This event is being held from November 25 to December 6 this year.

Every year, throughout Quebec and Canada, far too many women fall prey to violence and die as a result. It is unacceptable that, in Canada, women are overrepresented in the incidents of violent crime reported to the police, including domestic violence, sexual assault and the sexual exploitation of minors.

A United Nations report on violence against women indicates that, in 2020, an estimated 242 million women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 around the world were subjected to sexual or physical violence by their partners in the preceding 12 months.

Sadly, our country is no stranger to this disturbing violence against women. In Canada, an attempt is made on a woman’s life every day and a woman is murdered every second day.

Last year, 50% of the 160 reported femicides were related to domestic violence. This year, 17 women were murdered by their intimate partners in Quebec, and the number of femicides increased by 52% in Ontario. The situation will only get worse in 2022.

Violence can affect any woman anytime. Twenty-four-year-old Romane Bonnier was murdered a few weeks ago by her former partner in broad daylight on a Montreal sidewalk.

Violence happens even when measures are taken to try to protect women. Too many cases prove these measures don’t work. We have to do more.

For example, 44-year-old Elisapee Angma was murdered in Kuujjuaq by her former partner shortly after a judge granted him parole. He had violated the terms of his no-contact order three times.

Violence against women spares no part of the country, no nationality, no class, no profession.

Let’s remember the brave women in uniform in the Canadian Armed Forces, who were sexually assaulted and left out in the cold.

Year after year, violence against women continues to rise even as the government becomes less and less interested and engaged in reducing it.

I can’t help reminding you that the next victim could be your daughter, your sister, your friend or your neighbour.

I have been fighting for this cause for 15 years now. You can and should join me by taking concrete action, such as passing bills that can help protect victims of violence and save more lives.

It is in this spirit that I introduced, last week, Bill S-205 to address domestic violence.

The 12 days of action to end violence against women concerns us all. We can do our part by joining forces here in the Senate and giving unanimous support to the bill so that it can be quickly studied, passed and sent to the other place.

I know I can count on all of you. Only courage and political will should guide us in our work on this bill.

As you know, I have been working very hard to end violence against women —