Quebec is a precursor, in the Francophonie, of the feminization of titles and texts. In 1979, the Office québécois de la langue française proposed the use of feminine forms in all possible cases and in 2015, it recommended the feminization of personal names and epicene writing.
However, this heritage, which we owe to the feminists of the 1970s and which has been the pride and specificity of Quebec for nearly 50 years, has been completely overshadowed by the Minister of Finance Eric Girard, in his Budget 2023 speech.
In fact, the expression “Les Québécoises” is over, Minister Girard spoke directly to Quebeckers 31 times, and not once to Quebeckers. This blunder was repeated when he was addressed nine times to students and five times to workers, thus putting aside the students and the workers.
Why put an end to a Quebec tradition that has made it possible to recognize the contribution of women in society? It is true that other Quebec finance ministers, such as Nicolas Marceau, Carlos Leitão and Raymond Bachand, have also acted in this way over the years. However, Minister Girard spoke, in his budget, of inclusion and equality in addition to wanting to “promote culture and language”.
What should we conclude from this? That the feminization of titles and texts, which characterized Quebec for several years, is no longer part of Quebec culture to be valued? That Quebec culture excludes women?
It is difficult, in such a context, to speak of equality between the sexes, one of the fundamental values of Quebec, yet protected by the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.