“The level of violence that there is in society is scary. »
The testimonies that Marielle Bouchard heard during the pandemic marked her. The one who works as a worker with the Regroupement des femmes sans emploi du Nord de Québec frequently answers calls from those who need help. “These women tell me about their lives. Some have already told me: “Yesterday, I was sure that I was the next feminicide. I mourned myself.” »
These horrifying stories motivated her to undertake a daunting challenge: to cycle 1,000 kilometers in less than three days to raise awareness of the realities that lead to feminicides.
A dangerous spiral
“Cycling is my sport”, declares the ultra-cyclist enthusiastically on the phone. Wednesday morning, at 5:25 a.m., she will set off from Quebec City and will conclude her journey a few dozen hours later, near Natashquan. Three or four hours of sleep per night, a team that takes turns to supply her on the way: Marielle Bouchard’s trip will not be easy. “Ultra-distance cycling is painful,” she confirms. There is sleep deprivation, you have to stay focused at all times. There are parallels to be drawn with the hyper vigilance that women must have to survive in violent situations. »
Through a fundraising campaign GoFundMe, of course, she hopes to raise funds, which will be donated to the Maison de Marthe, a shelter for women who are victims of sexual exploitation. But above all, she hopes to shed light on the dangerous spiral that leads to femicide. “It’s not an impromptu event that comes out of nowhere. If the feminicide goes to term, it is because we have failed at all the previous stages where we should have put a safety net. She cites the example of lack of economic autonomy and violence as factors that can eventually lead to the worst.
“We escape people that we should not escape,” she condemns.
Accommodation after prostitution
The workers at Maison de Marthe, located in Quebec City, are on the front line to help women who are victims of violence. And thanks to the funds collected at the initiative of Marielle Bouchard, which amounted to more than $2,000 as of Tuesday evening, the organization wishes to strengthen its accommodation offer for women victims of sexual exploitation.
“We have to find a way for them to rebuild themselves, because they are traumatized,” explains Catherine Gauthier, the organization’s communications officer. They have to heal from that and get back on their feet to go back to school or work. »
At the Maison de Marthe, workshops led by specialized workers are offered daily to the women housed to help them achieve this objective. A program for the appropriation of sexuality and art therapy workshops are notably put forward. Although two women are currently housed, up to six survivors of sexual exploitation can be admitted to the organization year-round.
La Maison de Marthe is also firmly in favor of the abolition of prostitution. “Even if women choose to practice prostitution, they didn’t really have any other choices available to them,” says Ms. Gauthier. It was a means of survival. She adds that “it’s not something that is enjoyed as an activity”.
She sincerely hopes that Marielle Bouchard’s initiative will help draw attention to Bill C-36, which prohibits the purchase of sexual services in Canada. “This law needs to be better supported in Quebec and in Canada. There are very few arrests in connection with pimping or the purchase of sexual services,” denounces Ms. Gauthier.
As for Marielle Bouchard, she is preparing for the first day of her journey, during which she plans to pedal nearly 300 kilometers. Hoping to raise awareness of the scourge that would have already claimed the lives of five Quebec women in 2022.