Major victory for women's rights in Quebec!
The Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, has just ended the self-determination of 'gender' in the prison environment: men will no longer be transferred to women's prisons simply by identifying as such.
It is a sensible decision. It has never been acceptable to allow inmates — sometimes convicted of sexual violence or murder — to choose the prison of their choice under the pretext of a self-declared gender change. This policy directly endangered incarcerated women, many of whom are survivors of violence themselves.
At Réseau féministe Québécois we have been closely monitoring this issue for months. We are proud to have contributed to pressure for such a measure to finally be taken. Gender is a reality, not a feeling.
But the fight is not over: this decision applies only to provincial prisons in Quebec. In federal institutions, controlled by Ottawa, transfers of men to women’s prisons are still allowed. It is time for the federal government to also put an end to this aberration.
Thank you to all those who have supported this cause with us. Let’s continue to demand safe detention conditions for women.
Our petition is still active: https://www.change.org/p/non-aux-transferts-d-hommes-dans-les-prisons-pour-femmes-au-canada
