Letter from Brigitte in Wisconsin to Henriette (March 24, 1974)
March 24, 1974
My Dear Friend Henriette,
You know how much I enjoy sharing my thoughts and reflections regarding all that goes on around us. Now that we are blessed with the wisdom and experience of old age, it is with no small measure of annoyance that I admit you were right. I realize we have not always agreed on giving women the vote and on their social emancipation.
I long maintained that the fairer sex has no business in those power struggles that play out in such competitive and harsh male environments. You took a more radical position on these issues. For my part, I hoped that women’s involvement in politics would be limited to defending the interests of the domestic sphere and the family.
I continued to doubt that women possessed the ability to act in a man’s world. In particular, I thought that our feminine “qualities” of helpfulness and kindness were incompatible with decision-making. I suppose it all has something to do with how we were brought up…
I was led to these various conclusions by the feminist articles authored by a friend and correspondent. Her name is Doris Hamel, and I find her writing quite refreshing. Her column, called “For Female Eyes Only,” encourages women to discover and foster their professional skills.
Doris Veillette Hamel
You’re lucky. Last month, Doris told me that you are fortunate enough to have a woman involved in politics in the Mauricie. It shows that things have really changed. Her name is Paulette Cossette, and she is one of the first women to serve as a municipal councillor. She lives in Saint-Georges-de-Champlain, near Grand-Mère. Have you heard of her? Doris just wrote a report about her. It includes this quotation:
A woman can achieve as much as a man, when given the same resources.
– Paulette Cossette, 1968
Paulette Cossette (1968)
This all leads me to reflect on recent years. I hope you aren’t cross with me for taking so long to realize that women have a role to play outside the home. I’m eager to give you updates on the subject!
Your very dear friend,
Brigitte