The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence officially launches today with the annual Purple Ribbon flag-raising event at Confederation Building.

Fourteen local victims of gender-based violence will be remembered in this morning’s event, and people are being encouraged to bring brightly-coloured flowers in memory of those lost.

The minister of women and gender equality, Helen Conway Ottenheimer, says on average, a woman or girl is killed as a result of gender-based violence every 48 hours in Canada, something she calls “startling and devastating.”

“We know that violence destroys families, relationships and communities, and has devastating long-term effects that it has on its victims. When we have this discussion about violence and gender-based violence, we have to recognize the seriousness of this.”

This morning’s event takes place at 11:00 in the main lobby of Confederation Building. VOCM News will be there.

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence is a call for global solidarity to end violence against women and girls.