L’R des centres de femmes du Québec
469, rue Jean-Talon Ouest, bureau 418
Montréal (Québec) H3N 1R4- 514 876-9965
Télécopieur : 514 876-9176
What does L’R do ?
Essentially, L’R has two main missions:
- To contribute to the development of the network of women’s centres in Quebec and ensure consolidation and the reinforcement of centres’ practices
- To work to improve women’s living conditions and promote their interests, social justice, equality and equity for women.
The permanent staff works to support women’s centres: they seek to be available to help women’s centres, just as women’s centres are available to help women. When possible, they use intersectional feminist intervention to support the women, centre employees and administrators, and centre participants who call them.
If you need support, do not hesitate to contact the L’R office!
Training sessions, analytical and reflexion documents, colloquia and seminars are just some of the ways that L’R works to consolidate practices.
Throughout its history, L’R has developed numerous training sessions to be given in various regions, locally, or during our annual congress. For example, we hold training sessions on feminist management and feminist intervention. In the same way, the colloquia and seminars organized by L’R have, over the years, become spaces for our members to renew their knowledge, particularly “From popular education to political action” in 2004, the “Notebook of citizen intelligence” in 2005 and the “Educational Guide for Effective Media Relations” in 2006.
In 2009, a consultation across Quebec allowed women’s centres to highlight the need to adhere to a Basis of Political Unity (BPU). Growing poverty and an increased number of transfers from the health system, as well as the development of a consumer culture in service provision, are just some of the factors that can explain the whirlwind that centres say they are experiencing. In 2011, L’R decided to start the important project of working with its member groups to have them adopt the BPU, adopt transformation of practices and promote the participation of centre participants.
These training sessions and processes have the objective of giving activists, participants, board members and employees the tools they need to promote a feminist project each day at the centres and in their desire for social change.
Funding for L’R comes in large part from the financial contributions of its members, from membership fees and from registration for the annual congress. Women’s centres pay annual membership fees equal to 1.2% of their recurring subsidies. After members’ contributions, the most important funder for L’R is the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). Through the Support Program for Community Organizations (PSOC), the MSSS funds L’R’s global mission. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the MSSS allotted $201,799 to L’R.
Like all community groups, L’R is losing money, which is why we actively participated in the CA$$$H campaign with our allies from the Table des regroupements provinciaux and the Engagez-vous pour la communautaire! campaign with other member coalitions from the RQ-ACA.
Each year, the executive committee must manage L’R’s budget, a difficult task as funding from the MSSS only covers 40% of L’R’s revenue. Knowing that many coalitions have more than 80% of their total budget covered by the ministry, it seems that a supplement for our coalition is absolutely necessary.
Women’s living conditions are the central concern of women’s centres, so the largest feminist network of independent community action is devoted to staying informed about all developments on the subject in order to better support its members in their interventions.
L’R distinguishes itself by putting feminist perspectives front and centre, whether on questions of regional development, anti-feminism, or the impact of austerity measure on women’s living conditions. L’R also stays up-to-date on issues including the effect of poverty on women, impoverished women, the consequences of privatization and fees in the health system, and violence against women.
The most important part of L’R’s work is the everyday work of women in women’s centres throughout Quebec. To better understand the work that women’s centres do, we encourage you to read the Basis of Political Unity (BPU).
