The Honorable Monique Bégin will have marked her time with her vision and her determination to change society in three areas that were particularly close to her heart as a sociologist: education, health and the status of women.
She took “the path of great achievements”, as the historian Micheline Dumont describes it.
For Monique, gender equality too often corresponded to a concept of assimilation to the masculine norm; rather, it was necessary to initiate a social transformation to advance women. With determination, she became one of the pioneers in women’s history, as first vice-president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec and as secretary general of the Royal Commission on the Situation of Women. She has thus inspired entire generations.
Thanks to this widely publicized work, doors are starting to open for women. “Monique entered politics to improve social conditions in Canada,” says her friend the Honorable Judy Erola. She was one of the first 5 women elected, in 1972, to sit in the House of Commons, alongside 259 men.
His legacy as Minister of Health and Welfare is invaluable. She created the innovative child tax credit program and strengthened the safety net for society’s most vulnerable. It is also thanks to her deep convictions that she succeeded in having Parliament unanimously adopt the new health law guaranteeing the universality and accessibility of care throughout Canada.
Beyond politics, she will continue her work in favor of women and health. The first holder of the Joint Chair in Women’s Studies, dean of the new Faculty of Health Sciences and then professor emeritus in the master’s program at the University of Ottawa, she loved the lively discussions surrounding the search for solutions and still remains , according to former University of Ottawa rector Gilles Patry, a source of inspiration for generations of leaders.
It was her boldness and determination that prompted the Honorable Bob Rae, then Premier of Ontario, to appoint Monique co-chair of the Royal Commission on Education. “I admired his political courage and decisive leadership,” said Canada’s current ambassador to the United Nations.
Beyond our borders, the World Health Organization recruited her as a member of one of its international commissions. “Strongly concerned about social justice and health equity, Monique always sought to make things happen by taking into account the political situation in different countries,” reports Professor Fran Baum from Australia.
Monique has been an inspiration to many thanks to her integrity and her desire to make a change in people’s lives. She remains a model for all those who aspire to create a better and more equal world.
To those close to her, she was a warm, faithful and generous friend. Monique knew how to create a special time of celebration in harmony and pleasure. Farewell, dear friend.