Femicide rates and protests in Quebec

Quebec has seen a rise in suspected femicides in 2026, with 13 cases reported by mid-August, a figure nearing the total of 16 recorded throughout 2025. Recent victims include Leakkhena Seng and Kerline Jean in Montreal, with other cases reported in Gatineau, Lévis, and Saint-Jérôme. Victims identified this year also include Sushmita Bhaskaran, Shannon Jean Hickey, and Katerine Alejandra Mejia Salinas.

Critics have highlighted systemic failures, noting that resource shortages have led Quebec shelters to turn away nearly half of the women seeking assistance. Despite previous government promises to increase shelter capacity, resources remain insufficient to meet current demand.

In response to the increasing violence, activists in the Côte-Nord region have organized protests in Sept-Îles, Forestville, and Baie-Comeau. During a demonstration in front of the offices of Member of the National Assembly Kateri Champagne Jourdain, the “Non aux féminicides – Côte-Nord” movement presented 16 stones inscribed with the names of victims to demand government intervention. Organizers noted that 13 of the 16 cases identified occurred within the context of domestic violence, and emphasized that the Côte-Nord region experiences twice the rate of domestic and sexual violence compared to other parts of the province.

Mobilization has intensified as members of the “Non aux féminicides — Côte-Nord” committee met with Kateri Champagne Jourdain to present demands. Additionally, the group Femmes Autochtones du Québec (FAQ) joined a solidarity march in Pessamit following an assault on three Innu women in mid-August. FAQ is calling for concrete safety measures for Indigenous women and girls, urging the government to work in partnership with First Nations to ensure the security of women and children is treated as a shared responsibility.