Workers from union, political and community circles gathered on Thursday in front of the National Assembly to demand a minimum of 10 days of paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

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A petition abounding in this direction has already collected more than 3200 signatures.

“We are calling for ten days of paid leave for victims of domestic violence to help them recover. It is a deeply human gesture of compassion and mutual aid. And above all, it would help save lives,” said several speakers with one voice.

Among them, the Member of Parliament for Québec Solidaire Manon Massée, the coordinator of the Alliance of 2nd stage shelters, Maud Pontel, as well as other members of political parties and community workers.

“We agree that certain measures are already in place, such as the legal obligation for employers to take the necessary measures to protect the health and ensure the safety and physical and psychological integrity of the worker, they added. The ten days of paid leave for all victims of domestic violence that we are calling for constitute an additional measure to help them. They make it possible to maintain an income so that precariousness is not an obstacle when leaving a violent home. [...] Protecting and assisting victims is everyone's responsibility, including employers.”

An analysis by the Syndicat de professionnelles et professionnelles du gouvernement du Québec (SPGQ), conducted last February, placed Quebec in second-to-last position in the list of provinces that protects victims of domestic and family violence in their work. “It is high time for the Government of Quebec to remedy this,” said the speakers present at the rally.

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Since January 2020, more than 30 people have been victims of femicide in a marital context in Quebec.

Currently, workers in Quebec who must be absent from work as a result of domestic or sexual violence have the right to an absence without pay for a maximum of 26 weeks over a period of 12 months.

At the federal level, victims of domestic violence or their parents are entitled to a maximum of 10 days of leave per calendar year.