Mettre en lumière l'histoire des femmes

Comité Mémoire des femmes de la Fédération Histoire Québec, Montreal, Quebec

Mettre en lumière l'histoire des femmes is the brainchild of historians Vicki Onufriu and Marie-Josée Lettre, both members of the Comité Mémoire des femmes, a working group formed in 2021 by the Fédération Histoire Québec. This volunteer committee brings together a number of well-known Quebec researchers working in the fields of history, heritage, and genealogy. Together they combine their knowledge and expertise to document and publicize the history of women or groups of women who have made important contributions to Quebec.

To this end, since 2022, they have been making original use of social media to broadcast, free of charge, a weekly historical vignette. The women featured in the vignettes are outstanding figures who have left their mark on the arts, politics, health, the economy, and more. The committee is also highlighting the contributions of Indigenous and immigrant women, whose stories help provide a better understanding of Quebec society. Thanks to an innovative communications strategy, the committee has so far shared over 70 educational vignettes to the delight of an ever-growing audience.

Mettre en lumière l'histoire des femmes also includes a second component: the creation of the Prix Madeleine-Juneau in 2022 to reward and publicize projects developed in the field of women's history in Quebec. The prize was named in honour of a renowned museologist-archivist who devoted her life to transmitting women’s history and making it visible in the public sphere.

This original project piloted by the Comité Mémoire des femmes has made it possible to transmit new content, foster close cooperation between renowned Quebec researchers, and turn the spotlight on the lives of women too long forgotten.