2024-2025 Purple Ribbon Campaign

Communities Can End Gender-Based Violence: awareness, advocacy, and action

The 2024-2025 Purple Ribbon Campaign Against Violence Against Women theme speaks to the role that everyone, in every community, has to tackle the challenge of ending violence. We continue to hear terrible stories of violence against women all across Canada, in communities large and small, urban and rural, of all demographics. We know gender-based violence happens; it is time to take action and advocate for more responsiveness, safety, prevention and inclusion. It is through collective actions that all citizens, including survivors, can feel supported to thrive.

The purple ribbons are worn in honour and remembrance of the 14 women murdered in Montreal in 1989, and the 10 women murdered in PEI since 1989 by someone who knew them. We also wear purple ribbons as a call for justice for the tragic number of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in Canada. Volunteers cut and pin thousands of purple ribbons to bookmarks, so that they can be distributed to individuals and organizations across the Island. We are especially appreciative of Women’s Institute members, who will pin most of the 10,000 ribbons to bookmarks in 2024. WI members are also key in distributing the ribbons to communuities across PEI.

In addition to the purple ribbons and bookmarks, we have created a multilingual poster featuring the gender-based violence prevention message in 12 languages (historical and current usage in PEI). Slideshows and other materials developed for use by teachers and students, including the Teen Power & Control Wheel, are available on our website: https://peistatusofwomen.ca/purple-ribbon-campaign/resources-for-teachers/

All resources created in 2024 and in previous years are available in hard copy on request – we are happy to share the message of equality and violence prevention to individuals and communities across PEI.