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Françoise David, CQ (born 1948) is the spokesperson, with Amir Khadir, of Québec solidaire - a left-wing, feminist and sovereigntist political party in the province of Quebec, Canada. Quebec Solidaire was born from the merger of Option Citoyenne with l'Union des Forces Progressistes. She is the author of the book/manifesto Bien commun recherché - une option citoyenne (over 7,000 copies sold in Quebec) which combines the concepts of "common good", social justice, ecology and economic democracy into a coherent political doctrine.

[edit] Biography

In 1987, Françoise David became coordinator for the Regroupement des centres de femmes du Québec. Seven years later, she was named president of the Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ). In this capacity, she ensured that women's issues, including poverty and violence against women, remained at the forefront in Canada. She is the daughter of cardiologist Paul David.

Two of her best-recognised public successes have been the 1995 Women's March against Poverty and the 2000 World March of Women against Poverty and Violence.

In addition to her work experience, Françoise David is a member of numerous community organizations. In January 2000, she participated in the non-governmental observation mission to Iraq, and in December 2001 she traveled to Mali with the Service universitaire canadien outre-mer (SUCO).

In 1999, she was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.

David ran in the riding of Gouin in central Montreal in the 2007 Quebec Provincial Election, finishing second to the PQ incumbent Nicolas Girard. David received 7913 votes, amounting to 26% of the vote in her riding, behind Girard's 11,318 votes (37%). Quebec Solidaire received 3.7% of the vote provincewide.

David ran in Gouin a second time in the 2008 Quebec Provincial Election, receiving 7987 votes, or approximately 32% of the total, but again losing out to Girard, who received 10,276 votes (41%). Quebec Solidaire received 3.8% of the vote provincewide and David's co-leader Amir Khadir won the party's first seat in the National Assembly of Quebec in the neighboring riding of Mercier.

[edit] External links

• Official Website of Québec Solidaire