BROOKLIN — While support for gender violence has made strides over the years, Grade 11 Brooklin High School student Max O’Toole has taken steps of his own to inspire more change.
“In Canada, every six days a woman is murdered by her partner, 67 per cent of Canadians know a woman who has been assaulted and then 66 per cent of female sexual assault victims are under 14. I feel it doesn’t get enough recognition,” he said.
This led O’Toole to jump-start a social initiative called Red Shirt Day due to take place May 27. Red Shirt Day is intended to bring attention to the issue of gender-based violence and encourages people to donate funds to local charities.
Participants are urged to wear red shirts and post a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #redshirtstophurt. For every post, O’Toole will donate 25 cents to the Denise House women's shelter with the goal of raising $100.
“I also have my own personal donation page on Denise House’s website where people can donate more because I think it’s a really worthwhile cause,” says O’Toole. “I’m also going to be sharing information on other charities like Shelter Safe and Canadian Women’s Foundation.”
In spite of his good intentions, O’Toole says he has been having a hard time getting the exposure and participation he hoped for.
“One major thing I’ve discovered is it’s hard to get people to rally around a cause,” says O’Toole. “I find it kind of interesting people can recognize an issue is horrible but they don’t really act on it.”
O’Toole says he was inspired to make a difference after seeing the statistics on gender-based violence in his gender studies class.
He says he also feels it's important for people to know those who face domestic violence are diverse.
“A lot of women’s activism often only includes a certain type of woman. White, middle-class, stereotypical women, cis-gendered and straight,” he says. “A lot of women in Canada don’t have a voice, such as immigrants and transgendered women who experience a lot of violence,” adding there is also a huge issue in the Indigenous community.
O’Toole cites a 2014 Statistics Canada report that indicated Indigenous women were deemed six times more likely to be victims of a homicide.
Anyone interested in participating can follow O’Toole’s campaign account on Instagram @redshirtstophurt to receive information on gender-based violence and updates or see the website campsite.bio/redshirtstophurt to see how to get involved.
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