Québec solidaire (QS) is at a crossroads. Among the many subjects under discussion, it is the place occupied by feminism in the party which seems to me the most neglected. However, Québec solidaire will not be able to resolve this crisis without work of feminist introspection.
Remember that QS was founded, in part, by feminists wanting to transform politics. In the year 2000, as part of the World March of Women, feminists were mobilized to counter the inequalities created by patriarchal neoliberalism and violence against women. The provincial government at the time did not take this unprecedented mobilization seriously, an attitude that was received as a slap in the face. To the point where, during the final rally of the march, Françoise David, then spokesperson, wondered if we, the feminists, should undertake actions of civil disobedience or found a left-wing feminist political party to finally be heard. .
I was among the hundreds who opted for the creation of a feminist political party. Not to replace a protesting and autonomous feminist movement, but to transform the political landscape so that feminist ambitions are better received. If power marginalizes us, let’s change power!
By creating a party born from the merger between two organizations with different cultures, namely Citizen Option, associated more with feminists, and the Union of Progressive Forces, associated more with the political left, we had two feminist challenges to take up: establishing a culture and feminist practices within the new party and eradicate sexism from politics. The objective of all this was to give feminist analyzes their rightful place in economic, ecological, education, regional development, health and relations with First Peoples policies, etc. It was time to decompartmentalize feminism, to truly see it as a social project.
It is clear that these challenges remain current. Despite some progress, QS seems to be going through a crisis in its feminist commitment, and politics remains conservative and unequal.
You would think a feminist party would do better. However, feminist theories relating to the functioning of institutions remind us that there is nothing natural about wanting to function in a feminist manner in an environment historically marked by patriarchal social relations. Seeking to do otherwise requires sustained work and vigilance, because indifference and resistance manifest themselves at all levels. Without a significant and continuous effort, the “natural”, that is to say the learned, comes back at a gallop. Men quickly regain the place they think is due to them through their socialization.
Even if Québec solidaire claims to be feminist, the left historically lacks practice in this area. Its institutional culture (its analyses, its practices, its priorities) has long been defined in the absence of feminist thought. It is not by declaring yourself a feminist that you eliminate anti-feminist tendencies or indifference to feminism in your ranks. Wanting to be feminist as an organization involves providing constant means so that feminist knowledge, analysis and practices shine everywhere. Both men and women must bear this responsibility.
Analyze in feminists. Too often, we leave it to feminism experts to do the analysis or point out problems. This can lead to a situation where others simply do not develop this knowledge. How many times do we see the simple statement “and it’s much worse for women and people of color” appear in a text? Or again: we reduce feminist issues to themes of the female condition. However, feminism is much more than that. It is a critical reflection on all spheres of society.
Decide as feminists. The exercise of power, seen by feminism, is collective. By definition, we must refuse boys’ clubs, the concentration of power and homogeneous teams. The process is often seen as as important as the result. Wanting to move too quickly or focusing mainly on efficiency ends up creating exclusion. Who has time to comment quickly? Who has the energy to work more and more hours? Who has the confidence to speak, before listening?
Listen as feminists. Acting as a feminist involves developing your capacity for feminist listening, that is, hearing the voices of those most affected by patriarchy, namely women and gender minorities. This also implies that men do not rush to speak first and that they accept not always defining the terms of discussion. Listening as a feminist means being attentive to the manifestation of unequal social relations and countering them.
It is this quality that is missing in the current debate. I have the impression that we are missing out on the feminist critiques named by Émilise Lessard-Therrien, the party’s National Commission for Women and by Catherine Dorion. Indeed, in the current debate, both Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and the signatories of several collective texts circulating in the media tend to marginalize this issue by only referring to it in passing. Continuing in this direction would be a major mistake, because the crises will repeat themselves.
Transform into feminists. Black feminism teaches us a lot about questions of respectability. Often, in the name of pragmatism and reasonableness, we will sacrifice the demands and needs of people (including black women) in order not to disturb. An intersectional feminist party will accept the fact of disturbing. We cannot act as feminists without facing the fact that neither society nor politics are always ready to receive criticism or new ideas.
As an actor of social change, Québec solidaire must embody what it aspires to. This translates into a clear feminist commitment in terms of practices, culture and positions. This must be seen and felt, even if the norm of politics in Quebec is not in the same place. It is by embodying and practicing difference, particularly feminist, that QS will broaden the field of possibilities. It is by accepting to be outside the norm that QS will be able to give hope in a rather worrying time given the warlike, ecocidal, intolerant and inegalitarian tendencies which are manifesting at the moment.