The Foundation of Greater Montréal launches its Vital Signs 2022 report on the situation of women and girls in Greater Montreal

MONTREAL, June 9, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - 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, their mental health, as well as their working conditions and integration into the workplace. It also looks at the differentiated situations experienced by members of 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.
• In Quebec in 2017, one Indigenous woman in 5 had thought about committing suicide in her lifetime.
• In Montreal in 2021, more than one woman in 5 in a relationship reported that their partner had engaged in violent behaviour.
• In 2020, poverty affected nearly 11% of women in Greater Montreal, 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 still a long road ahead 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, FGM's President and CEO.

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

In addition to having compiled the available statistical data, the report's contributors at the Institut du Québec have included testimonies and observations from intervenors who work alongside women and girls within such organizations. Their contributions help give a more accurate picture of the various realities 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."

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 an engine 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," concludes Karel Mayrand.

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. Website: institutduquebec.ca

SOURCE Foundation of Greater Montreal

Simon Delorme, Project Manager for Communications, [phone], [email protected]