Panel of Executive Committee members
At the Women’s Network, the members of the Status of Women Committee interviewed Executive Committee members Nancy Bédard, Shirley Dorismond and Denyse Joseph to learn about their career paths as women, healthcare professionals and union activists. It was a very inspiring moment that taught us more about who they are as women, their personal and collective struggles, family-work-personal life balance, as well as their challenges and successes.
Their dedication to feminism and defending women’s rights shone through as they spoke and they each stood out because of their unique actions. For Nancy, the summer strike in 1999 was an important moment: she didn’t go home for 23 days and was empowered by the feeling that she could change the world. For Shirley, it was her participation on the provincial negotiating committee and the ultimate gain in paid shift overlaps, which made her very proud. As for Denyse, she showed solidarity by joining a sit-in by healthcare professionals to protest violence in the workplace. These were all memorable moments that led them to a collective victory. They gained guidelines for working in a violence-free environment.