Through her example, Denise Bombardier encouraged women to take their place in the “boy clubs” of politics and journalism. Elected caquists and liberals trust that they have followed in his footsteps.
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“She really paved the way for the women of my generation. She was an open-minded woman, and I admired that a lot,” former Liberal Minister Christine St-Pierre confided in an interview, who claims to have been influenced by Denise Bombardier in her decision to pursue a career in journalism.
“Back then it was generally much more difficult for women to get information, it was actually a man’s job. The women who were successful and rose to the top became role models,” she explains.
But before Denise Bombardier could “break down the glass ceilings for women,” she had to get out of a difficult family environment, recalls Liberal MP Marwah Rizqy.
“She was of working-class origin, had an untouched father, and lived in what was more like a mental institution. And her mother had told her how important education is, education and mastering the language,” she says.
- Listen to Stephan Bureau’s testimony QUB radio :
“My mother used to tell me that a lot,” the deputy continues. Then, as I listened to Denise Bombardier and she told us her story, I understood that one can come from humble backgrounds, but if one makes the effort to educate oneself and master the verb properly, we become very powerful in that moment”.
Minister Pascale Déry says she too has been inspired by this pioneer, both in her career as a journalist and during her time in politics.
Since her parents were close friends, she had been in close contact with Ms. Bombardier since childhood, whether during a family holiday in Morocco or at the presentation of her second book organized at Dérys.
When he made the leap into politics, Denise Bombardier was there to encourage him. “The first thing she told me was to dare, not to be afraid to fight the battles that need to be fought,” says the minister for higher education.
- Listen to the audio tribute to Denise Bombardier over QUB radio :
“It always inspired me to say, ‘If you want to fight, you have to fight.’ She made me realize how important it can be,” she adds.
No Quebec Solidarity elected official was available Tuesday to testify about Denise Bombardier’s influence. However, the party’s co-spokeswoman, Manon Massé, stressed in a brief message on social media that Ms. Bombardier is “a woman with many responsibilities who will have shaped Quebec”.