Governing the city
Ensuring a relentless vigil in the matters of parity, equality and
equity
Huge progress has been made in terms of gender equality over the past 40
years. However, the shoe still pinches, particularly when we look at women’s
presence in power circles, whether in the political and juridical arenas or in
the public and private organizations. Whether we call it the frontier effect,
the glass ceiling or the leaden sky, women always seem to be stumbling on
obstacles that are slowing down their path towards the top of the organizational
hierarchy. In modern Québec, values of social equality are now pushing their way
through, like a Leitmotif, in the sociopolitical discourse, infiltrating
organizational structures and their top hierarchy.
To govern the city is to be active. And the Conseil des Montréalaises is
active, addressing numerous issues related to the status of women. Indeed, the
Conseil des Montréalaises wishes to ensure that institutional parity is reached,
glances at the overall municipal politics through the prism of Gender-based
Analysis (GBA), and inquires about equality policies. All these cross-cutting
issues are addressed to ensure the best possible governance, and to position GBA
training amongst city personnel as a priority. The Conseil des Montréalaises
also places at the heart of its consideration the growing partnership with the
city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
In a wider perspective, the Conseil des Montréalaises aspires to a genuine
social reorganization based on new role assignments, allowing women to have
access to both citizen and political responsibilities. To achieve this, the
Conseil des Montréalaises works at drawing the public authorities’ attention to
these issues. Let’s increase opportunities to voice our concerns on municipal
issues by multiplying citizen participation outlets everywhere in the
city.