Who we are
The Women’s Health Advisory Committee is a consultation forum dedicated to raising awareness and providing input to the Regional Health and Social Services Network on the organisation and delivery of health and social services affecting women’s living conditions in the Gaspésie-Îles de la Madeleine administrative region. The committee aims to advise the Network on the obstacles and issues specific to women in terms of health from an intersectional perspective, i.e., it takes into account the multiple oppressions that women in the region may experience.
The Women’s Health Advisory Committee brings together organisations and individuals representing different communities and sectors of activity linked to women’s health issues. It seeks to gain a broad understanding of the different facets of women’s health and well-being. The committee includes a representative from the Aboriginal community, a representative from the English-speaking community and a person from the mental health field.
Since 2020, the committee has been working in partnership with the CISSS de la Gaspésie, where it is recognised as an advisory committee to the board of directors. It is supported by the Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Gaspésie et des Îles-de-la-Madeleine and accompanied by the Direction de la santé public.
La Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Gaspésie et des Îles-de-la-Madeleine
The Table de concertation des groupes de femmes de la Gaspésie et des Îles-de-la-Madeleine is an organisation that takes action to collectively defend women’s rights, particularly through popular education, mobilisation and representation activities. It acts politically, without partisanship, so that the rights and interests of women in our region are concretely respected in various fields such as health, education, and the social and economic development of the region.
Why a Women’s Health Advisory Committee linked to CISSS?
Women have long expressed their desire to receive services adapted to their specific reality. They want this concern to be visibly supported by a body that can include it in the design and implementation of action plans and services that concern them. It is in the context of the new structures that the present committee is redefining its basics with regard to regional realities.
Moreover, “over the years, the MSSS has clearly recognised the influence of Quebecers’ living conditions on their health and well-being. Physiological, socio-economic, political and cultural realities, among others, that are specific to women, shape their relationship to health and well-being.”
By working with the CISSS de la Gaspésie, the Women’s Health Advisory Committee can sit at the table to voice the concerns of women in the region regarding their health and well-being. It also allows us to strengthen cooperation between the health network and the community so that health and social services are in line with the multiple realities of women in the region.