It's a real pleasure for me to write to you today as Deputy Leader of the Green Party of Quebec. I entered politics for the very first time in the 2018 provincial election as a candidate in the Saint-Laurent riding. As an immigrant and woman of color, this experience has totally changed my life both personally and professionally. Indeed, I have gained more confidence in myself, in my abilities and by becoming aware of the need to fight to put forward the causes that are close to my heart. I now invite you to take the plunge into politics by becoming a candidate for the Green Party of Québec in the 2022 general election!
As spokesperson for the family file in the Shadow Cabinet and now Deputy Leader, I continue to work with party leader Alex Tyrrell on various projects and activities to ensure that the Green Party of Quebec is heard, both on the political scene and in the media, as well as by the general public. The Green Party's presence on the political scene is more necessary than ever, as we no longer have the time to take half-measures when we know that, over the next few years, global warming is likely to multiply meteorological disturbances and jeopardize lifestyles and the equilibrium of societies. The 2022 provincial election is therefore very important for us to break the status quo and elect Greens to the National Assembly. As in 2018, our goal for 2022 is to achieve parity with over 50% female candidates. In the last election, the Green Party of Quebec was one of the parties that fielded 58% women candidates from all walks of life, and was even one of the few parties to field a veiled woman as a candidate.
We'd like to repeat the feat this year, too, by fielding a team with equal representation and diversity. Visit The next few years will be crucial in re-establishing the foundations of a fair and egalitarian society, and this will require an equal and lasting presence of women in our democratic bodies. The health crisis and the shortage of childcare services have brought many mothers back home, and their presence in the workplace has been weakened. Over the past two years, the rate of feminicide and violence against women has sadly increased. The 2022 provincial election is the right time to think about how we can address the dynamics that give rise to inequality and oppression.
At the Green Party of Quebec, we deeply believe that the direct participation of women on these issues is paramount, and we opt for an intersectional approach to achieve lasting change. There's still a lot of progress to be made on this path, and we want to get started as quickly as possible so that concrete action can be taken to combat all forms of inequality, discrimination and violence against women.
We need to act now, and we need Green MNAs in the Quebec National Assembly to bring about change. If you would like to be part of this change, or if you know of a woman in your circle who would be a good representative for the Greens in the 2022 provincial election, I'd be delighted to talk to you.
I hope I can count on you.
Halimatou Bah
Deputy Leader of the Quebec Green Party
