Montreal, June 9, 2022 – This morning, the Foundation of Greater Montreal (FGM) made public the 2022 edition of its Vital Signs of Greater Montreal series of reports, which focuses on the situation of women and girls in the metropolitan area. The report explores three key issues: violence against women, mental health, as well as working conditions and integration into the workplace. It also looks at the different conditions experienced by the LGBTQ2S+ community, Indigenous, immigrant, and racialized women, female youth or adolescents, senior women, single mothers, women living with a handicap or those experiencing homelessness. Here are a few examples:

  • In Montreal in 2017, more than 18% of women were living with a disability.
  • Across Quebec in 2017, one Indigenous woman in five had thought about committing suicide in her lifetime.
  • In Montreal in 2021, more than one woman in five in a relationship reported that their partner had engaged in violent behaviour.
  • Poverty affected nearly 11% of women in Greater Montreal in 2020, as compared with approximately 8% of men.

“This is the first time that a study takes a 360-degree view of several of the issues faced by women and girls in Greater Montreal. Not surprisingly, we see that there is a long road to travel before we get to sex and gender equality. The good news is that we are seeing the emergence of a powerful and inspiring female leadership that can pave the way. These women are tackling the issues head on, and we are here to support them,” explains Karel Mayrand, the President and CEO of FGM.

A movement to support women and girls

It is precisely to support community organizations assisting women and girls that FGM last fall launched the Women’s Impact Montreal Collective Fund (WIM), which gives a circle of women donors and volunteers the opportunity to engage in a long-term process of improving women’s living conditions.

In addition to having compiled a wealth of available statistical data, the report’s authors at the Insititut du Québec have included testimonies and observations from intervenors who work alongside women and girls within these organizations. Their contributions help give a truer picture of the various realities being experienced by women who live in Greater Montreal.

“There has been progress, most notably when it comes to their participation in the workforce, but too many women are still running into multiple barriers that keep them from thriving,” explains Mia Homsy, President and CEO of the Institut du Québec. “Our findings on domestic and sexual violence, in particular, are very troubling. And, yes, Montreal women’s mental health is a bit better overall than that of their counterparts in the rest of Canada, but on the whole, there is not that much reason to celebrate.”

A call to action

Both the highlights and the full report are freely accessible on the Foundation of Greater Montréal’s website.

“We want this Vital Signs report to be a lever and a motor for all actors in our community. We call on everyone, across Greater Montreal, to re-commit to promoting justice and equity among sexes and genders. Our community has a duty to do better than it has done,” concludes Karel Mayrand.

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Source: Foundation of Greater Montréal
For more information: Simon Delorme, Project Manager for Communications – (514) 866-0808 ext. 107 / simon.delorme@fgmtl.org

About FGM
The Foundation of Greater Montréal (FGM) serves, and listens to, its community. In collaboration with its partners, it mobilizes philanthropic resources, disseminates knowledge, sparks new initiatives, and supports the community, with a view to furthering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Greater Montreal. FGM aspires to the development of a community that will be free from poverty and discrimination, where all can realize their potential and live in a healthy environment, both today and in the future. Website: fgmtl.org

About the Institut du Québec
The Institut du Québec is a non-profit organization that focuses its research and its studies on current socioeconomic issues in Quebec. It aims to provide public bodies and the private sector with the tools they need to make informed decisions, and thus contribute to building a more dynamic, competitive and prosperous society. Web site: institutduquebec.ca