Léonie Couture

Léonie Couture CQ (born 1951 in Saint-Georges, Quebec) is a Canadian feminist activist. She is the founder and director of Herstreet (French: La rue des Femmes), an organization designed to help homeless women, mainly in the Montreal area.[1]

Léonie Couture

CQ
Born1951 (age 71–72)
Saint-Georges, Quebec
NationalityCanadian
EducationBachelor's of administration
Alma materLaval University
OrganizationHerstreet
Known forHelping homeless women

Biography

Léonie Couture obtained a bachelor's degree in administration from Laval University, and completed certificate training in psychology at the Université de Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).[1][2]

Couture was initially a consultant in organizational development (1976–77), then joined the Public Service Commission in Ottawa from 1977 to 1979. From 1979 to 1981, she became Assistant Director of Nursing at the hospital centre of Outaouais.[1]

Couture became involved in community movements in 1981. She worked in the Movement Against Rape and Incest until 1987,[3] promoted literacy until 1991, and then joined the Centre for Women's Health from 1991 to 1993.[4] She devoted herself to the cause of homeless women in 1994 and founded the organization Herstreet (French: La rue des Femmes).[5][6]

Seeing homelessness as foremost a health issue, Couture created Herstreet to not only provide emergency shelter and meals[7] but to provide psychological help to rebuild their lives. The organization enables 400 women to leave the street each year with the help of 40 employees and more than 150 volunteers.[8][9][10]

Couture participated in the activities of many community support groups and networks, and was a member of the board of directors of the Fédération des femmes du Québec, where she served for three years, organizing the Marche mondiale des Femmes (World March of Women).[1] She is a member of the board of the Ville-Marie Social Development Corporation.[1]

Honours and distinctions

References
  1. "Léonie Couture, Executive Director and Founder". La rue des Femmes. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  2. "Femme remarquable - Léonie Couture" [Remarkable Woman - Léonie Couture] (in French). Centre des femmes de Rivière-des-Prairies. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  3. "Léonie Couture, fondatrice de la Rue des femmes" [Léonie Couture, founder of the Rue des femmes]. Une pilule, une petite granule (in French). Tele-Quebec. 4 October 2007. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  4. "Léonie Couture, Une femme d'influence" [Léonie Couture, A woman of influence] (in French). arrondissement.com. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  5. Elkouri, Rima (8 March 2013). "Léonie Couture est la fondatrice de La rue des femmes, ce refuge qui vient en aide aux femmes sans-abri depuis près de 20 ans" [Léonie Couture is the founder of La rue des femmes, a shelter that has been helping homeless women for nearly 20 years]. La Presse (in French). Groupe Gesca. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  6. "L'itinérance au féminin, entrevue télévisée du 6 avril 2012, TVA Nouvelles" [The female homelessness, TV interview of April 6, 2012] (in French). TVA Nouvelles. 6 April 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  7. "Léonie Couture: Chevalière 2012" [Leonie Couture: Knight 2012] (in French). Ordre national du Québec. 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  8. "Léonie Couture - Women's Health and Security". Speak Truth to Power Canada. Canadian Teachers' Federation. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  9. Ouimet-Lamothe, Sophie (19 July 2010). "Léonie Couture". La Presse (in French). Groupe Gesca. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  10. "Léonie Couture, tendre la main" [Léonie Couture, reaching out] (in French). Radio-Canada. 21 July 2010. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  11. Collard, Nathalie; Elkouri, Rima (8 March 2013). "Le palmarès des Québécoises d'influence" [The list of Quebec women of influence]. La Presse (in French). Groupe Gesca. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
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