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PRESS RELEASES
January 26, 2003
For A Feminist and Democratic Reform Of Institutions
Montreal, Sunday January 26th, 2003. ú On January 24, 25 and 26 a conference entitled ˙De la parole aux actes : regards de femmes sur la dĂmocratieŘ (˙From Words to Deeds: Womençs Perspectives on DemocracyŘ) was held in Montreal, organised by the Collectif FĂminisme et dĂmocratie. Nearly 200 women ú and a few men ú gathered to discuss the challenges facing women and the strategies to adopt in the current debate on political institutions and the electoral system.
An essential goal of the conference was to present a political platform to serve as a foundation for womençs interventions in the debate on democratic institutions and practices. The platform covers the following topics : the democratic deficit, various forms of democracy, political institutions, the electoral system, equal representation at the political level, and measures to support political candidates and elected representatives. The title and general theme of the platform, ˙ Penser enfin une dĂmocratie avec les femmes Ř (Imagining a democracy that includes women), strongly suggested that women want to play an active role in the debate on democratic institutions.
After an animated discussion which reflected the diverse views and approaches within the womençs movement in Quebec, participants identified three major priorities : changing the political culture, striving for an electoral system based on proportional representation, and promoting the equal presence of women and men.
The main conclusion of the conference was the following: no more incentives, no more pleas, now is the time to act! Women want a law that forces political parties to provide for equal representation. In order for the law to be successfully implemented, there should be a severe penalty imposed when it is not respected. Many participants have underlined that it is only with such a law that women can change attitudes and provoke changes in political culture.
In the view of the colloquiumçs participants, it is necessary for women to actively promote a reform of democratic institutions and the voting system; this reform must however include measures to promote the equality of men and women. Real democracy requires both institutional reforms and inclusion of women.
The Collectif FĂminisme et dĂmocratie, founded in March 2002, stems from a desire to participate fully in democratic institutions. It is composed of activists from a variety of fields who are involved on a personal basis. The Collectif is a forum they created to explore and identify the challenges and feminist issues related to the current debate on the reform of political institutions.
Website: www.cybersolidaires.org/democratie
Source: MercĂdez Roberge
Collectif FĂminisme et dĂmocratie
Telephone: (514) 721-7826
Email: mroberge@colba.net
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