About L’R des centres de femmes du Québec

Identity

L’R des centres de femmes du Québec is the largest feminist coalition of independent community action in Quebec. In good times and bad, it unites about a hundred women’s centres in every region of Quebec. It reaches between 250,000 and 300,000 women each year.

Just like its members, the coalition practices independent, feminist community action. It encourages women’s involvement through a series of structural means, such as through truly representative democracy or through compensation for expenses.

L’R represents women’s centres at several community and research roundtables, representing the interests of its members and the priorities decided at each Annual General Meeting. For instance, the team from L’R’s office represents women’s centres in campaigns to increase funding for the overall mission of community groups. L’R’s members also ask that L’R is part of the Group of 13 and that it is involved in different women’s studies research groups.

What is L’R ?

In the early 1980s, most women’s centres came into being in Quebec spontaneously, without any specific action to start them. They were born from the feminism of the 1970s, a feminism which impacted women’s daily lives. 

In January 1984, 53 women’s centres in Quebec held a meeting for the first time. This historic event helped to combat the isolation of individual women’s centres and encouraged them to think about what they could do as a collective. One year later, after a consultation in every region of Quebec, more than 80 women’s centres founded a provincial coalition. In June 1985, L’R des centres de femmes du Quebec was born. 

Today, 82 women’s centres are members of L’R. If you would like, you can contact a women’s centre among our members throughout Quebec. 

All members of L’R subscribe to the Basis of Political Unity (BPU). 

L’R includes a Political Action Committee, the “CAP turquoise”, a Community Life committee, a Communication committee and a Structure committee. To become a member of one of these committees, it is necessary to be involved in a centre which is a member of L’R and be chosen as a delegate by the centre. If you would like to learn more about these committees, please contact L’R’s office.

L’R includes a Political Action Committee, the “CAP turquoise”, a Community Life committee, a Communication committee and a Structure committee. To become a member of one of these committees, it is necessary to be involved in a centre which is a member of L’R and be chosen as a delegate by the centre. If you would like to learn more about these committees, please contact L’R’s office.

The “coco” (short for “coordination committee”) is made up of 15 representatives from different regions, elected by regional tables, for a mandate of 2 years, renewable once. This is a space that allows representatives to share knowledge, experience, and analyses, in addition to participating in collective management. 

The coco is a management space: it has the roles and responsibilities of a governing board. As a result, its representatives are there to be a voice for their regions, but also to ensure that the largest feminist network of independent community action acts in the interests of all the women it represents. 

The team is made up of 4 permanent staff members and many contractors. The permanent staff act as co-coordinators, in order to promote equality between women.

Coco – Coordination Committee

Meets 4 times per year. Composed of 15 regional representatives, named by the centres in their region. They have a double role as representatives of their region and as administrators of L’R. 

CE – Executive Committee

Meets 5 times per year. Made up of 3 members who are elected by and from the Coco. Hires the permanent staff, who share management of L’R with the CE. 

TR – Regional table

Meets a minimum of 4 times per year. Made up of representatives from women’s centres in the region. 

Committee 

Receives mandates from the Coco or from the Annual General Meeting. Reports to the Coco and to the Annual General Meeting. Made up of employees and participants chosen by different centres, one permanent staff member and, ideally, one member of the Coco. 

Sovereign General Meeting

Meets once per year. Made up of members. Gives mandates to the Coco. 

Permanent Staff

Supports the mandates given by the Annual General Meeting and by the Coco. Shares management of L’R with the Executive Committee. 

What does L’R do ?

Essentially, L’R has two main missions: 

  • To contribute to the development of the network of women’s centres in Quebec and ensure consolidation and the reinforcement of centres’ practices
  • To work to improve women’s living conditions and promote their interests, social justice, equality and equity for women.

Training sessions, analytical and reflexion documents, colloquia and seminars are just some of the ways that L’R works to consolidate practices.

Throughout its history, L’R has developed numerous training sessions to be given in various regions, locally, or during our annual congress. For example, we hold training sessions on feminist management and feminist intervention. In the same way, the colloquia and seminars organized by L’R have, over the years, become spaces for our members to renew their knowledge, particularly “From popular education to political action” in 2004, the “Notebook of citizen intelligence” in 2005 and the “Educational Guide for Effective Media Relations” in 2006. 

In 2009, a consultation across Quebec allowed women’s centres to highlight the need to adhere to a Basis of Political Unity (BPU). Growing poverty and an increased number of transfers from the health system, as well as the development of a consumer culture in service provision, are just some of the factors that can explain the whirlwind that centres say they are experiencing. In 2011, L’R decided to start the important project of working with its member groups to have them adopt the BPU, adopt transformation of practices and promote the participation of centre participants.

These training sessions and processes have the objective of giving activists, participants, board members and employees the tools they need to promote a feminist project each day at the centres and in their desire for social change. 

Funding for L’R comes in large part from the financial contributions of its members, from membership fees and from registration for the annual congress. Women’s centres pay annual membership fees equal to 1.2% of their recurring subsidies. After members’ contributions, the most important funder for L’R is the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). Through the Support Program for Community Organizations (PSOC), the MSSS funds L’R’s global mission. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the MSSS allotted $201,799 to L’R. 

Like all community groups, L’R is losing money, which is why we actively participated in the CA$$$H campaign with our allies from the Table des regroupements provinciaux and the Engagez-vous pour la communautaire! campaign with other member coalitions from the RQ-ACA. 

Each year, the executive committee must manage L’R’s budget, a difficult task as funding from the MSSS only covers 40% of L’R’s revenue. Knowing that many coalitions have more than 80% of their total budget covered by the ministry, it seems that a supplement for our coalition is absolutely necessary. 

Funding for L’R comes in large part from the financial contributions of its members, from membership fees and from registration for the annual congress. Women’s centres pay annual membership fees equal to 1.2% of their recurring subsidies. After members’ contributions, the most important funder for L’R is the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS). Through the Support Program for Community Organizations (PSOC), the MSSS funds L’R’s global mission. In the 2017-2018 fiscal year, the MSSS allotted $201,799 to L’R. 

Like all community groups, L’R is losing money, which is why we actively participated in the CA$$$H campaign with our allies from the Table des regroupements provinciaux and the Engagez-vous pour la communautaire! campaign with other member coalitions from the RQ-ACA. 

Each year, the executive committee must manage L’R’s budget, a difficult task as funding from the MSSS only covers 40% of L’R’s revenue. Knowing that many coalitions have more than 80% of their total budget covered by the ministry, it seems that a supplement for our coalition is absolutely necessary. 

Women’s living conditions are the central concern of women’s centres, so the largest feminist network of independent community action is devoted to staying informed about all developments on the subject in order to better support its members in their interventions. 

L’R distinguishes itself by putting feminist perspectives front and centre, whether on questions of regional development, anti-feminism, or the impact of austerity measure on women’s living conditions. L’R also stays up-to-date  on issues including the effect of poverty on women, impoverished women, the consequences of privatization and fees in the health system, and violence against women. 

The most important part of L’R’s work is the everyday work of women in women’s centres throughout Quebec. To better understand the work that women’s centres do, we encourage you to read the Basis of Political Unity (BPU). 

Becoming a member of L’R

To become a member of L’R, first, you need to adhere to our Basis of Political Unity (BPU). Next, you will need to take part in community life. You can do this by contacting a women’s centre in your region or by contacting our office for more information. 

In addition to having access to all of our services for members, L’R’s members contribute to the development of feminist solidarity across the province! 

The permanent staff works to support women’s centres: they seek to be available to help women’s centres, just as women’s centres are available to help women. When possible, they use intersectional feminist intervention to support the women, centre employees and administrators, and centre participants who call them.

If you need support, do not hesitate to contact the L’R office!

The cost of membership for a women’s centre is 1.2% of the recurring subsidies that the centre receives in one year (recurring subsidies often come from funding sources such as the Ministry of Health and Social Services or from the United Way).This has been the case since 2009 and the price has never been raised since. This amount varies from centre to centre, but usually comes out to around $2000 per year. This is not a small amount of money, but it makes a big difference when considering all of the advantages of being a member of L’R as an individual centre and as one centre among many.

The membership fee is a political choice, as it allows us to cover the cost of the services mentioned above (training, information, accompaniment), community life, the protection of the mission and the funding of women’s centres, and the defence of women’s rights.

In the short term, the cost of membership may seem high, but we invite you to consider that in the medium or long term, it is a smart way to protect the practices, the mission and the funding of women’s centres.

As a member of L’R, you support the fight for the funding of women’s centres and the protection of their mission. In fact, L’R represents its members during negotiations for the PSOC, the Ministry’s funding scheme for community services. Did you know that, if your funding was increased by at least $165,000 in 2008, it is because L’R fought for that increase?

Services for members

Along with the mission of women’s centres, the cohesion of our practices is at the heart of L’R’s mission. This is why L’R concentrates a great deal on accompaniment, support, and training.

  • Subscription to the Nouvel’R, the newsletter for women’s centres in Quebec, which includes news about feminist issues, community initiatives, and Quebec politics;
  • Access to a discussion list to encourage mutual aid and communication between women’s centres. The richness of the coalition is that L’R includes all of us, so it’s an advantage to be able to consult with other women’s centre employees, who can share the tools produced by their centres;
  • Access to the private section of the L’R website, which is full of tools for women’s centres;
  • Accompaniment and support:
    • When centres have difficulties with certain participants and are not sure how to intervene, they can call our office for support and guidance.
    • When centres have difficulties in management, they can call our office for support and guidance.
    • Permanent staff can travel, without charging fees, to the centre in question (no matter where it is located) to meet the women concerned, in order to guide them as they look for solutions.
    • The permanent staff members share the information with one another and collaborate to find solutions.
    • When women’s centres want to speak to the media or organize actions on issues that concern the women in their communities, they can call our office for support throughout the process.
  • Documents on feminist analysis and reflection;
  • The right to present propositions and vote at general assemblies;
  • Tools for facilitating workshops;
  • Ongoing training

Once every 4 years, our permanent staff will come to your region to offer training which has been adapted to your region’s needs, at the price of $100 per day, per women’s centre participating, regardless of the number or women who attend.

Upon request, permanent staff can travel to offer training adapted to a centre’s needs for the cost of $450 per day. Training sessions available include:

  • Feminist intervention
  • Feminist intervention – mental health
  • Intersectional feminist intervention
  • Feminist management
  • Fighting prejudice
  • Organizational ethics
  • Invisible work and the mental load
  • And more!

At our annual convention, the second day is devoted to training; workshops, panels, and conferences are offered on subjects which concern L’R members directly.

Services for members

L’R des centres de femmes du Québec has developed many areas of expertise, particularly in management and in feminist intervention. Any organizations, unions or businesses which are interested by these issues are invited to contact our office for support, training or conferences on feminist issues.

  1. Support
  2. Training/coaching
  3. Conferences

Pricing for our external services varies according to the status and revenue of the organization. Here are the starting prices. 

Women’s groups and community groups

300 $ per half-day
500 $ per day
Unions600 $ per half-day
1000 $ per day

Businesses

1000 $ per half-day
1500 $ per day

We are always open to negotiating prices according to organizations’ ability to pay for our external services.

  • Regional development
  • Feminist intervention
  • Feminist mental health intervention
  • Intersectional feminist intervention
  • Feminist management
  • Combating prejudice
  • Organizational ethics
  • Invisible work and the mental load
  • And more!