On 6th December 1989, 14 women in the University of Montreal's School of Engineering Building were shot and killed with a .223 caliber semi automatic rifle by Marc Lepine who before killing himself explained in a letter left behind that he hated feminists and believed that he was not given a place in the engineering faculty because of women students.

He hated feminists.

He hated then enough to open fire and murder 14 women, injuring 13 others: nine women and four men.

He hated them enough to kill himself.

As a woman, I cannot write this without crying and as feminist I cannot write this without feeling rage. But it is a rage that keeps me going on so that people like Marc Lepine stop hating us.

I write this today, because I want to celebrate feminism. Feminism taught me that women everywhere experience and share the pains and joys of being a woman, that whether you live in Nepal, Canada or Malaysia, because of our gender we are raped, abused, harassed, discriminated and are expected to think, behave and act in female roles decided for us.

Feminism taught me that it is our human right to have dignity and freedom of choice to control our lives and bodies. Feminism taught me that social systems where men still have control over resources and decisions operate by law, cultural practices and belief systems to control and subordinate women in private and public spheres.

Women are not the enemy, feminism is not the enemy, it is our stubborn reluctance to accept that women are equal to men.

We do not hate men but we actively reject attempts by men and communities to control and exploit us.

We will not and cannot be shut out. Do you want to work with us?

Source: A feminist at WAO