The Beginning of a New Era - Women Get Organized: the Foundation of Women's Associations

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• Introduction
  • Beginnings
  • The Long Reign of the Union nationale
  • Henceforth
  • A Precursor of the Quiet Revolution
• Education
  • Brother Anonymous
  • The Creation of the Ministry of Education
  • The Parent Report
  • CEGEPs and the Université du Québec
  • Greater Access of Women to Education
• The New Role of the State
  • The Advent of the Welfare State
  • Election of the First Woman to the Legislative Assembly
  • The Tiger Team
  • Return to Power of the Union nationale
  • A Real Civil Service
• Reclaiming the Economy
  • The Nationalization of Electricity
  • The Société générale de financement
  • The Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the Régie des rentes
• The Affirmation of Quebec
  • The Sovereignty Movement
  • Vive le Quebec libre
  • Relations between Quebec and Ottawa
  • The Délégation générale du Québec in Paris
  • The Front de Liberation du Quebec
  • Bill 63
• Culture
  • The L'Osstidcho
  • Les belles-soeurs (The Sisters-in-law)
  • Humour
  • The Era of Chansonniers
  • Filmmaking in Quebec
  • Literature in Quebec
• Social Realities
  • The Formation of Leftist Movements
  • The Decline of Religion
  • Expo 67
  • Demanding Unionism
• Women's Revolution
  • The Advent of the Pill
  • The Feminist Affirmation
  • The Femmes d'aujourd'hui Show
  • Women Storm the Labour Market
  • The Bird Commission
• Epilogue

Home > Events > Women's Revolution > Women Get Organized: the Foundation of Women's Associations

In 1966, the Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale (AFÉAS) is established through the merger of the Union catholique des femmes rurales and home economics circles. The photo features the first AFÉAS executive authority made up of Mesdames Hervé Bélanger, Germaine Goudreault, Bibiane Laliberté, Azilda Marchand and Mrs. Donat Mayrand

The Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ), a leading association in Quebec, is established in 1966. Its first Board of Directors comprised 16 women

Women Get Organized: the Foundation of Women's Associations

Old Women's Associations

Women's associations had existed for a long time in Quebec. In the 19^th century, there were philanthropic associations in the cities. Members were middle class women from French and English communities. In rural areas, associations flourished during the 20^th century. There were farm women's circles as of 1915, branches of the Union catholique des fermières in 1944 – the female version of the Union catholique des cultivateurs (UCC) --, which became branches of the Union catholique des femmes rurales in 1957. During this last year, homemakers' circles emerged as well as the Ligue des femmes du Québec, a reform association of unionist women who embraced the communist movement.

The Emergence of a New Kind of Feminism

In the early 1960s, women's organizations were less dynamic than the organizations of the first half of the 20^th century, which had battled for the right of women to vote, finally obtained under the Liberal government of Adélard Godbout. However, the slump was short-lived. With the effervescence of the Quiet Revolution, a new kind of feminism emerged. One of the first indications of what was to become known as neofeminism was the creation, at the initiative of Thérèse Casgrain, of the Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ) in 1966. The federation was run by women of various professional backgrounds and its purpose was to coordinate the actions of several women's associations directed at the recognition of the fundamental rights of women and the mitigation of various forms of discrimination against them. One offshoot was the Conseil du statut de la femme in 1973, a leading advisory agency. By the end of the 1970s, it grouped together 130 000 members from some 30 associations. Again, in 1966, branches of the Union catholique des femmes rurales and homemakers' circles united to form a new entity known as the Association féminine d'éducation et d'action sociale (AFÉAS). Members of the FFQ originated primarily from big cities, whereas AFÉAS recruiting took place in rural areas and small cities. By the end of the 1970s, the latter organization grouped together some 35 000 women from 600 circles who lobbied for women's rights and pressured local authorities.