The SNJM Sisters Still “On the Move” for Equality

The 6th edition of the World March of Women will be held under the theme “Still on the Move to Transform the World.” This powerful call to action reaffirms the ongoing importance of fighting for justice and equality for all.

The main gathering will take place in Québec City on Saturday, October 18, 2025, whereby participants from across the province, will converge at the National Assembly for this collective march. Meanwhile, similar actions will be held around the world, echoing a shared commitment to equality and human rights.

A Faithful and Active Presence

Since the historic “Bread and Roses March” in 1995, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) have been steadfast participants in this movement of hope and transformation.

Sr Lise Gagnon in 1995

That year, Sr. Lise Gagnon walked from Montréal to Québec alongside thousands of women, supported by a delegation of four other SNJM Sisters. Since then, the Congregation has taken part in every edition — 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021 — standing in solidarity with movements for social justice and equal rights, especially those advancing women’s equality.

Sr. Claudette Bastien, snjm (right) at the home of a “courageous” village woman who welcomed walkers in 1995.

In 2015, the SNJM’s chartered a bus with about sixty participants to attend the march in Trois-Rivières. In 2021, despite the pandemic, the SNJMs joined two symbolic actions: one in Montréal, in collaboration with the Association of Women Religious for Women’s Rights (ARDF), and another in Longueuil, on their historic site, where approximately fifty people marched in solidarity.

For the 2025 edition, Sr. Lise will once again be in Québec City, joined by Sofia-Elena Ranke-Farro, partner on the SNJM Justice and Peace Committee, along with other allies, to reaffirm their ongoing commitment to women’s rights and equality for all. Delegations from various countries — including those from Africa, Europe, and Latin America — will also be present.

Walking Is Acting

The SNJM participation in the World March of Women is part of their ongoing mission to promote social justice, human dignity, and equality.

To walk is to act — to take a concrete step of solidarity and hope. And for the SNJMs, it remains a living expression of their enduring mission: walking together to transform the world.