feminism

Women march for equality and an end to poverty

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

To mark the 30th anniversary of the historic 1995 Bread and Roses March, women across the province held commemorative events. In Quebec City, women and men assembled beside the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec on June 7 for speeches before marching along Grande Allée to the National Assembly and to the Parc de la Francophonie for celebratory cake and refreshments.

Françoise David played a key role in the 1995 march as president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ) and later became an MNA, serving as co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire. She said she still feels there is much work to be done in the name of gender equality and the fight against poverty, despite the progress made over the last three decades. “On the legal level, in terms of laws, we can’t say that women have taken a step backwards in Quebec,” she said. “The creation of a network of childcare centres was essential for women to be able to work, and recently, given the rise in reports of sexual assault against women, the creation of a specialized court. So, there has been progress for women.”

“It is a good thing to celebrate this milestone now, especially in these international political times,” said social worker Elizabeth Lopez. “We cannot allow the toxic masculinity and patriarchy rising from the south to undo all the work we have done in the past decades. That is why I skipped school to march back then and that is why I am here today.” She added, “It is great to see so many men among us and support[ing] us.”

“It is amazing to see how much has changed in 30 years,” said Amélia O’Connor, a retired social worker and volunteer in a women’s shelter in Montreal. “The demands we made back then still resonate with us today.” According to the FFQ, the marchers’ main de- mands included pay equity, social programs for women with potential jobs, security benefits and unemployment insurance, social housing, and an automatic child support collection system. This year, women walked for equality, social justice and an end to poverty.

Much has improved for women since the initial Bread and Roses March in 1912, a strike of immigrant workers at a textile factory in Lawrence (near Boston), Mass. Over the past century, women in North America have gained the right to vote, hold office, have careers outside the home and keep their jobs after giving birth and while raising young children. The gender salary gap has decreased, abortion has been legalized and shelters for women who have escaped domestic violence have become more accessible, although challenges remain.

Much remains to be done, as demonstrated by the hundreds of women and men present in Quebec City this past weekend. Among them were some of the original 1995 “godmothers” (sponsors and co-organizers) and newly appointed “godmothers,” including freelance journalist and broadcaster Ariane Émond, Sen. Chantal Petitclerc, Indigenous rights activist Michèle Rouleau, artist Marie-Claire Séguin, Radio- Canada anchor Marie-José Turcotte, and former executive director of the Maison d’Haïti and Montreal-based immigrant rights activist Marjorie Villefranche.