A silent vigil was held on Monday in front of the BC Legislature, honouring 16 women who were killed by men in British Columbia in 2024.
The vigil was organized by Vancouver Rape Relief and participants held signs with women’s names, ages, and the date of their murder.
One sign honoured 28-year-old Navdeep Kaur who had been missing since February 22. Her body was discovered in July near an industrial area in Richmond and police announced they are treating her case as a murder.
A second sign was held for 33-year-old Pawitarpreet Kaur Sidhu who was killed on April 26. Her husband is charged with her murder.
A third sign was held for 41-year-old Balwinder Kaur of Abbotsford. Balwinder, who was a mother of two, was killed on March 15. Her husband is charged with her murder.
A fourth sign was held for the most recent femicide victim, Roshnee Gurung, who was found dead in her Vancouver home on Friday night (November 22). She was 26 years old. Her husband is charged with her murder.
“We are here to mourn the women and to demand systemic change,” said Hilla Kerner of the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. “We want the BC Coroners Service to conduct an inquest for each case of femicide. The public needs to know what could have been done to protect them so we can demand and press for change.”