The 35th Annual Women’s Memorial March is taking place this Saturday, February 14, in the Downtown Eastside. The march honours the memory of all women’s and gender-diverse peoples’ lives lost in the Downtown Eastside, especially Indigenous women, girls, two spirit and trans people disproportionately continue to go missing or be murdered with minimal to no action to address these tragedies or the systemic nature of gendered violence, poverty, racism, or colonialism.
For the latest information about the march, please visit https://mmiwgmemorialmarch.wordpress.com and the Facebook group at https://bit.ly/40FITsK.
The full protocol for the march is provided below:
1) ATTEND: Spread the word and join us (all genders welcome) to the Feb 14th march. We respectfully ask that you please do not bring your agency or group banners, flags, or leaflets as the march only carries signage remembering our sisters. Signs to honour womens’ lives are welcome.
2) KNOW THE PROTOCOL: In a good way, we want to inform everyone about the protocol the march that has been in place for three decades:
At 10 am, there will be a family and community remembrance at Main and Hastings.
At noon, the elders and family members make a circle at Main and Hastings for the prayer circle and then the march proceeds.
Women elders carrying medicines are at the front, followed by all women elders and family members and women drummers. The quilt made by loved ones in the DTES community is carried behind the family members and drummers.
Everyone is invited to follow. We ask that you leave your organizational banners at home, signs honouring women’s lives are welcome.
The march makes a number of stops along the way for ceremony to honour where women were last seen or found.
At approximately 2 pm we stop again at Main and Hastings for speeches by community members, followed by a healing circle and drummers at Oppenheimer Park around 3 pm, and finally a community feast at the Japanese Language Hall from 4-5 pm.
3) VOLUNTEER: Please volunteer to support the march with setup, cleanup and more. We need approximately 84 volunteers (all genders welcome). Volunteers can sign up here: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/944629370092/false#/invitation
4) DONATE: The Women’s Memorial March is sponsored by organizations and individuals like you. Each year the Memorial March committee must raise funds to pay for such things as hall rental, sound system, food, roses, memorial brochures, posters, candles, tobacco and other expenses. Please donate online at https://dewc.ca/donate-online/ and indicate the funds are to be used for the Women’s Memorial March. Donations by cheque can be made payable to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, memo: Women’s Memorial March. Mail cheques to: 155 E Pender Street, Vancouver, V6A 1T6. All donations over $10.00 will be gratefully acknowledged with a tax deductible receipt. Thank you very much for your attention, time and support.
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