Obituary: Monique Bégin, pioneering feminist and former federal minister, dead at 87

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Former federal minister Monique Bégin, one of the first women from Quebec elected to the House of Commons, died Friday at the age of 87.

Bégin died in Ottawa surrounded by her family after receiving palliative care, according to a press release published Saturday.

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Before entering the Commons, Bégin forged her reputation as a leading figure in Quebec’s feminist movement.

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In 1966, she signed the founding charter of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, of which she was the first vice-president. The following year, she was appointed Secretary General of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, whose 1970 report remains important today.

It was in 1972 that Bégin entered Parliament in Ottawa, as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Michel for the Liberal Party of Canada under Pierre Trudeau.

During her time in government, she held several portfolios, including health, social welfare and national revenue.

“As a passionate sociologist, she created the child tax credit and championed legislation to increase the guaranteed income supplement,” said the press release from the Comité Hommage à Monique Bégin.

“Her greatest achievement was the unanimous adoption of the Canada Health Act by the Parliament of Canada in 1984, strengthening the universality and accessibility of the Canadian health-care system. Still, in the health sector, she also launched the policy of devolution of health services to First Nations communities and created a development program for their health professionals.”

After her years in politics, Bégin enjoyed a prolific teaching career, notably at the University of Ottawa.

In 1998, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for having “influenced the development of applied social sciences on a national level, especially in the fields of health and education.”

Last year, the Order of Canada promoted her to the rank of Companion, highlighting her “decisive contribution to several causes, including respect for human rights and improving the quality of life of disadvantaged and marginalized communities. both in Canada and abroad.”

Bégin “remains a source of inspiration for generations of leaders, particularly for women who can now occupy a wider range of senior positions in government and academia thanks to her activism,” according to the page dedicated to her on the Governor General of Canada’s website.

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