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.