Françoise
Françoise, born Robertine Barry on February 26, 1863, in L'Isle-Verte, Québec, is recognized as the first female journalist in French Canada and a prominent advocate for social justice and women's rights. She began her journalism career in 1891 with a weekly column titled "Chroniques du lundi" in the newspaper La Patrie, marking a significant milestone as the first woman to write for such a platform in Québec. In 1897, she furthered her commitment to women's issues by establishing a dedicated page in La Patrie called "Le Coin de Franchette." Françoise also published a collection of short stories in 1895, "Les fleurs champetres," which highlighted the challenges faced by women in rural life and sparked controversy among conservative circles. Her influence extended beyond journalism; in 1900, she represented Canada at the Paris International Exhibition and participated in the International Women's Congress. Additionally, she founded the bimonthly magazine Le Journal de Françoise in 1902, which supported women authors until its closure in 1909. Although active in campaigning for women's rights, she notably did not support women's suffrage. Françoise served as an inspector of women's working conditions until her death on January 7, 1910, leaving behind a legacy as a trailblazer for women in media and advocacy in Québec.
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Subject Terms
Françoise
Journalist
- Born: February 26, 1863
- Birthplace: L'Isle-Verte, Quebec, Canada
- Died: January 7, 1910
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Considered the first female journalist in French Canada, Robertine Barry—better known simply as Françoise—was a champion of social justice and women’s rights. She was born in L’Isle-Verte, Québec on February 26, 1863. In 1891, she began contributing a weekly column, “Chroniques du lundi,” to the liberal Montreal newspaper La Patrie under the penname Françoise. She was the first woman in Québec to have such a venue, and in 1897 she initiated a regular page of La Patrie devoted to women’s issues, called “Le Coin de Franchette.”
In 1895, Françoise published a collection of short stories, some of which had appeared in La Patrie, entitled Les fleurs champetres. These stories reflected her interests as a journalist and activist and attempted to show the injustices and hardships of rural life for women, whom she depicted as often abused and exploited. The work proved quite controversial, angering conservatives who felt she had misrepresented rural people, particularly by ignoring the role of religion. In 1900, Françoise represented Canada at the Paris International Exhibition and the concurrent International Women’s Congress. That same year, a collection of her La Patrie columns was published as Chroniques du lundi.
In 1902, she founded Le Journal de Françoise, a bimonthly women’s-interest magazine. It ran until 1909 and championed women authors throughout its run. During this time, Françoise was highly active in campaigning for women’s rights, although she never supported women’s suffrage. In 1909, the government of Québec named her inspector of women’s working conditions. She retired from publishing to devote herself to this job, dying a year later on January 7, 1910.