Teacher Resources | International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence is a global, yearly initiative running from November 25 to December 10, with the primary goal of eradicating violence against women, girls and individuals within the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

The NFB has made many films on the topic of gender-based violence, and NFB Education has created several accompanying resources to best facilitate discussions with high school and secondary students on this extremely difficult topic.

Beyond December 6

Beyond December 6, Catherine Fol, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

In Canada, we also commemorate the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, where we honour the women who were murdered during the Polytechnique mass shooting in Montreal on December 6, 1989.

Mini-Lesson for Because We Are Girls (Ages 15-17)

Overarching Question: “Only one percent of women make it to where we’ve made it.” Use this film to inquire why it is so difficult for individuals to identify, report and heal from sexual trauma.

View the Because We Are Girls study guide

Mini-Lesson for Into the Light (Ages 15-17)

Overarching Question: What is the difference between intimate partner violence and a domestic squabble?

Into the Light: The Healing Power of Speaking Out

Director Gentille M. Assih was inspired by the courage of three immigrants who experienced intimate partner violence.

Mini-Lesson for Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada (Ages 15-17)

Overarching Question: What progress has Canada achieved in addressing the objectives of feminism if defined as political, social, and economic equality?

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Ages 18+)

This selection of films addresses the issues of gender-based violence, and specifically the existing structural barriers as well as the feminist movement’s interrogation of power and privilege.

Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls: Breaking the Silence, Starting the Conversation in Classrooms

How can we put a face on an Indigenous woman who’s gone missing or been murdered, and how do we restore a sense of her identity? Who is she? Where did she come from? Why was she killed?

Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls (Ages 15-17)

Films in this playlist not only focus on the tragic topic of murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, but also on the themes of violence against Indigenous peoples. These films offer broader context on violence, relocation, and healing.

A Better Man Offers a New Approach to Eliminating Domestic Violence

Attiya Khan, a counsellor who advocates for survivors of violence, turns the lens on herself and her abusive ex-boyfriend in this riveting documentary.

View the A Better Man study guide

Finding Dawn

Finding Dawn , Christine Welsh, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Filmmaker Christine Welsh brings us a compelling documentary that puts a human face on a national tragedy – the epidemic of missing or murdered Indigenous women in Canada. The film takes a journey into the heart of Indigenous women’s experience, from Vancouver’s skid row, down the Highway of Tears in northern BC, and on to Saskatoon, where the murders and disappearances of these women remain unsolved.

this river

this river, Erika MacPherson & Katherena Vermette, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

This short documentary offers an Indigenous perspective on the devastating experience of searching for a loved one who has disappeared.

Pour lire cet article en français, cliquez ici.