A group rallied in front of the B.C. Legislature Monday to draw attention to the 16 women who were killed by men in British Columbia in 2024.

A silent vigil was organized by Vancouver Rape Relief and participants held signs with women's names, ages, and the date of their murder.

鈥淲e are here to mourn the women and to demand systemic change," said Vancouver Rape Relief鈥檚 spokeswoman Hilla Kerner in a release. 

Many of the signs noted that the woman was killed by her male partner or ex-partner and according to Kerner. The organizers had to add another sign Monday morning as the Vancouver Police Department released a statement on the death of 26-year-old Roshnee Gurung, who was killed on Friday night (Nov. 22). Her husband is charged with her murder. 

鈥淪ome of these women reported their partners鈥� threats and violence to police or family court but protection orders do not protect women and restraining orders do not restrain violent men.鈥� said Kerner. 鈥淢en who are arrested for committing violence are often charged but immediately released until their trial with conditions that do not prevent them from murdering their women victims.鈥�

Kerner points to the murder of Tori Dunn, a case that got a lot of public attention this year, to call for the criminal justice system to create effective methods to supervise and monitor men who are known to be violent. She said if such measures are not in place, men who pose a risk to women should be held in custody until the completion of justice proceedings.

Four of the signs only read 'woman' as the vigil organizers were not able to find their names while reviewing police news releases and media reports.

"We want to know their names,鈥� said Kerner, 鈥渁nd 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.鈥�