‘Women in Action’ forum in Montreal celebrates history, focuses on future change

“Women in Action: Inspire, Act, Transform Our Communities” — that’s the slogan for the Women in Action forum, held at West Island College (WIC) in Montreal.

The event marked the 85th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote in Quebec.

“They’re all words of action. It’s women coming together in order to form, if I can say, alliances, relationships. I’m a big believer, as I mentioned, in women empowering women. That’s solidarity. It’s a force of nature, if I can say those words — in our society, in order to make the changes that we need to see,” said Brigitte B. Garceau, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Robert-Baldwin and Official Opposition Critic for the Status of Women, Culture and Communications, Youth Protection, and the Follow-up to the Rebâtir la confiance report.

The forum brought people together to honour the women who helped make that progress possible—and to reflect on the work that still lies ahead.

“When we have a space like this to exchange about our different experiences, we can get inspired, and then we can act, and we can change our community, our society, and we’re stronger together,” said Tania Charron, Executive Director of Action Jeunesse de l’Ouest-de-l’Île & Ricochet (Hébergement/Homes).

“I think that with the setbacks we’re seeing with women’s rights right now in America and elsewhere, it’s even more important to have events like this where women can gather and have honest conversations about what’s going on and what the future can be for us,” she added.

Throughout the day, participants took part in panels exploring topics such as the economy, social innovation, senior services, mental health, homelessness and intergenerational solidarity. These discussions sparked meaningful conversations and exchanged fresh ideas.

The event brought together community members, professionals, and leaders to listen, share experiences, and help shape a more inclusive and supportive future.

In reflecting on the significance of the event, Garceau shared her thoughts on its purpose and the broader context in which it was taking place.

“This is a women’s forum, which I decided to organize as a critique of the status of women. In conjunction, evidently, with the 85th anniversary of women’s right to vote in Quebec, which of course is a historic moment. And it was really a nice occasion for us to come together as women — women here in the West Island, but throughout Montreal — in order to celebrate the, if I can say, advances that women have made over the last 85 years, but also going forward. And the challenges that we have in terms of, as a society, there are different, if I can say, issues that are critical, that need to be resolved,” she said.

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Panel 1: Women and the Economy — Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Transformation

The first panel explored how women are shaping the economy through entrepreneurship, innovation, and community engagement.

Désirée McGraw, Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and the Official Opposition Critic for Social Economy and Social Solidarity and Community Action, spoke about some of the key issues currently being debated in Parliament. She addressed the need for better funding for the social economy, the impact of global trade tensions on local organizations, and the essential role women play in building stronger, more inclusive communities.

Mariam Coulibaly, Co-founder and Executive Director of Startop, shared her perspective on how the social economy can empower immigrant women. She highlighted the importance of inclusion and solidarity, and how women-led businesses and initiatives are creating real, lasting change in their communities. She also emphasized the power of women’s leadership in driving grassroots innovation.

Together, the panelists illustrated how women are leading the way in building a more inclusive and socially focused economy.

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Panel 2: Women, Mental Health, Homelessness, and Social Services — Inclusion and Action

This panel focused on the complex challenges women face when navigating mental health, homelessness, and social services, with a strong emphasis on inclusion, support, and meaningful action.

Emmanuelle Morin, Clinical Director at Perspective communautaire en santé mentale, stressed the importance of prevention in mental health. She emphasized the need to educate the public about psychological well-being and mental hygiene while also calling for stronger partnerships and better funding for community mental health services. She underlined how community-based support can make a meaningful difference, especially for young families and women in vulnerable situations.

Charron offered a clear picture of homelessness in the West Island. She spoke about local realities, systemic barriers like stigma and a lack of affordable housing, and the limited access to long-term, tailored services. She stressed the need to rethink how shelters and support systems are designed—especially for women whose needs often go unseen.

“I’m here today to talk about women and homelessness, what challenges vulnerable women are facing, and what can we do as a society to better answer their needs,” she said.

Addressing the critical need for specialized services for women facing homelessness, she emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces where women can heal from trauma and rebuild their lives.

“Homelessness is a complex phenomenon. Being a woman in 2025 is also complex, with the setbacks we’re seeing in our rights in America and elsewhere and the rise of masculinism. So, at the intersection of these two phenomena, there’s women and homelessness. That is even more complicated by the multiple oppressions that these women are facing. So, being a woman and being homeless means dealing with additional layers. You’re twice as vulnerable when you’re a woman on the street, and you can triple or quadruple that when you’re a black woman, a disabled woman, or a trans woman. So, I think it’s very important to tackle this issue and talk about it.”

The discussion continued with a focus on senior support and caregiving.

Linda Caron, MNA for La Pinière and Official Opposition Critic for Seniors, Informal Caregivers, and Home Care, spoke about the challenges faced by older women. She addressed the often-invisible role of women caregivers, the gaps in home care services, and the importance of adapting those services to meet the unique needs of aging women.

“We have to recognize that seniors, 65 and older, are going to make up 25 per cent of the entire population of Quebec in only six years. Also, we need to realize that being 65 and over doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sick; many still have many years to contribute to society. We have to recognize that this is important, and it has value, and I want to emphasize this,” she said.

She emphasized the need to appreciate the ongoing work women do in our society.

“In terms of the condition of women’s lives, we cannot take anything for granted—and we sometimes forget that,” said Caron. “So to have an event like this to remind us that we’re celebrating 85 years of the women’s right to vote is absolutely crucial. It’s a reminder that we must not forget. And to have such panels and participants who are women and who are in action every day to help other women, to help the community at large, shows how women are—they hold the world on their shoulders. It’s important for all of us to know that, realize that, because when women thrive, families thrive, and society as a whole benefits.”

Kristina Perreault, Executive Director and Head of Marketing, Communications, and Strategic Partnerships for Répit-ressource, discussed the link between women’s roles, the social economy, and home support services provided by social economy enterprises (EÉSAD). She highlighted the contributions of seniors to their communities, the critical work of caregivers, and the long-term impact of home support services—while proposing solutions to strengthen the system.

Together, the speakers called for action to close the growing gaps in support for women—whether in mental health, housing, or senior care—by building inclusive, community-based solutions rooted in real-life needs.

Garceau shared her thoughts on the unexpected benefits of the event, particularly the networking opportunities and the new insights gained.

“I think the benefit is, sometimes when you come to these panels, you come with a certain idea of the information that you’re going to receive. And I think today, a lot of the women got more information. And I think that’s very interesting in terms of certain organizations that are here, because that is also part of today’s forum — the networking part. It’s women from different organizations meeting together to say, you know what, maybe I can help you, or maybe you can help me. And as a result, it’s always very interesting to see, after the forum, the new information that they were not expecting to receive today. And as a result, we’ll be seeing positive changes in the, I’m going to say, the coming year, as a result of the forum and the exchanges that we had today. And it’s also the exchanges that were had between the various panelists and all of the people that came together today.”

One attendee, Misty MacLaren, expressed her excitement: “I’m very honoured to attend. This, I think, is going to be an amazing forum of information—questions that will be generated because we didn’t even think about certain ideas and topics that are going to be discussed. I think it will be an amazing sparking of ideas and interactions, and good things to come out of that.”

The speakers captured the essence of the forum’s purpose, emphasizing the strength and impact women can have on their communities.

“Women are a force of nature. We’re going to forge ahead. We’re going to make some impact—if I can say, a powerful impact in our communities,” said Garceau. “That’s the objective of this forum: to make a difference in someone’s life. And that’s why we’re here.”