Women Occupy Public Space - Federal Elections - World March of Women 2015

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 6, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of the World March of Women at 12:15pm, one hundred women will occupy the Christ Church Cathedral square located at 635, Ste-Catherine West to publicly present their multilingual manifesto.

Occupy public space to speak out

With this manifesto, women add their voice to the current debate on social issues by creating their own social project. Written collectively in 12 languages over 6 months, this political manifesto is an ode to cultural diversity and was chosen as the means by which women's voices will be disseminated. "Most of these women will speak in public for the first time!", says Carolle Mathieu, president of the L'R des centres de femmes du Québec.

Austerity and exclusion

One of the main sections of the manifesto denounces the impacts of austerity on women, such as being threatened with homelessness or the inability to feed their families. "The consequences of austerity on women are particularly harmful. We know that we are able to pay for public services with our 10 billion dollars in realistic fiscal solutions!", emphasizes Kim De Baene, spokesperson for the Coalition opposée à la tarification et à la privatisation des services publics.

"Freedom for our bodies, our Earth and our territories"

The theme of the World March of Women 2015 has rallied women, born here and elsewhere, around this feminist project, as Marie-France Benoit, spokesperson of the World March of Women said, "patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism specifically oppress women". These oppressions play key roles in the control of women's bodies such as imposition of beauty standards, violence against women, sexual exploitation, etc.

Built by and for women of our communities, the women's centres work to improve the living conditions of women and reach more than 300 000 women annually in all regions throughout Québec.

Rcentres.qc.ca / [email protected] / @Rcentres / FB : LRdesCentresDeFemmesQc

SOURCE L'R des centres de femmes du Québec

Valérie Gilker Létourneau, communications agent, 514-232-9300