On December 5, there was first the life sentence of François Chapdelaine, this man who committed a horrible murder in the region by assassinating his ex-girlfriend in 2022. “Atrocious violence. Barbarian” said the judge while handing down the sentence. Then there was December 6. A date that we cannot forget, 35 years after the Polytechnique massacre. These two days, one after the other, force us to reflect on the condition of women and what it means for our society.
In 2024, the barometer is not looking good for women.
I have always thought that the condition of women, respect for women's rights, their progress, constitute indicators of civilization. I don't see why I should think otherwise now. Especially with what is happening in the United States. I don't understand why we should agree to backtrack on equal rights.
After a few years abroad, in a Middle East with realities very different from ours, I returned to Quebec in October 1989. Just a few weeks before 14 young women were the victims of an attack that we know today that he was a misogynist and anti-feminist. I'm not sure I really understood at the time what was behind this killing. Even if it shouldn't be the case, some things take a long time to sort out before we really learn from them and really understand.
Even today, if we are to believe the prevailing discourse, some men have difficulty admitting that women occupy their place in the public space and carry their discomfort into the private space. Violence against women is increasing. We can find it worrying, disturbing and even revolting, but it doesn't stop.
What is different, and extremely worrying, is that this misogynistic discourse is now carried by elected officials, people who occupy leading positions, men of power in our societies. Their statutes grant legitimacy to this discourse which did not really dare to free itself. How else can we define the role that Donald Trump plays?
On this side of 45e At the same time, we seem to be immune to these twists and turns in history, but are we really? The right of women to control their bodies, the right to abortion (even if there are real accessibility issues which limit the exercise) is not currently called into question. Could it be with the election of a Conservative government in Ottawa?
Everything seems so fragile.
Quebec society needs to count on all its members. It needs each and everyone to be able to contribute to the maximum of their abilities, their skills, their ambitions. This is the main reason for seeking equity.
This is also true here, in our region. Should we emphasize how much our political leadership is masculine? Certainly progressive, but masculine nonetheless.
We must not make the mistake of believing that “progress”, that major advances, are inevitable. Everything can be shattered, we see that.
We must find a way so that girls and young women never have fewer rights than their mothers. We do not want such a society.
This column is taking a leave of absence for a few weeks. Back on January 14. Happy Holidays!
