Les Essentielles

Les Essentielles is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 whose goal is for Yukon Francophone women to flourish, fully participate in the Yukon community, and have access to programs and services that meet their needs. The organization actively works to improve the quality of life of Yukon Francophone women and non-binary people, offering a range of programs and services to its members. It also undertakes special projects to address current issues relating to its mandate.

Les Essentielles campaigns for a feminist, equitable, inclusive community in which Yukon Francophone women and non-binary people feel able to reach their full potential in a healthy, safe way.

It also participates in a number of round tables with a variety of partners including Anglophone and First Nations organizations.

Les Essentielles provides the community with a wide range of services, ranging from essential ones such as access to a shower and washer and drier, to a collective self-serve freezer for members to access, to culture, arts and recreation, with a library of feminist books, sewing courses, and an Arts Wall dedicated to artists from the community.

Les Essentielles also organizes awareness campaigns; it held three in 2023.

March 8, International Women’s Day, is an important date as it provides an opportunity to highlight the progress women have made and acknowledge all the work that has been done toward achieving gender equality. To mark this day, Les Essentielles organizes a number of events in March.

May is dedicated to raising awareness around the impact of gender-based violence in the Yukon, and the need to provide support and services to people impacted by sexual assault.

Finally, Les Essentielles holds 16 days of action against gender-based violence. This campaign is aimed at eliminating gender-based violence, calling into question societal attitudes that project blame onto the victim, recognizing their resistance, and refocusing the responsibility on the perpetrators of violence. Les Essentielles also highlights and commemorates the victims of the École Polytechnique massacre in Montréal.

Photo credit: Les Essentielles