Ms. Myrlande Pierre was unanimously appointed by the National Assembly of Quebec on two occasions, in June 2019 and June 2024, as Vice-President of the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission. She is responsible for the mandate entrusted to the Commission under the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and for the implementation of the Act Respecting Equal Access to Employment in Public Bodies.
Holding a Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of Geneva and a Master’s degree in Sociology from the Université du Québec à Montréal, Ms. Pierre is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the field of immigration, particularly the socioeconomic integration of racialized minorities and racism. She is a member of the Canadian Sociological Association and the International Network of Women Doctoral Students and Women Doctors.
She is the author of several scientific publications on these issues. In August 2022, Ms. Pierre was invited to present to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) on the theme “Systemic and Structural Racism and Its Impact on the Rights of Minorities in Various Areas: Public Safety, Employment, and Health.” During 2022, she also participated in the first two sessions of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent under the auspices of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and New York. Through these activities, she contributed to raising the profile of Quebec and the Commission within UN institutions.
She is regularly invited by the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, as well as by Quebec institutions, to deliver lectures and participate in panels on human rights, racism, and systemic discrimination.
Her career has also been marked by strong community engagement. In this regard, Ms. Pierre was appointed Chair of the Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Table by the Mayor of Montreal and the City’s Executive Committee (March 2018 to June 2019).
In March 2017, she was appointed by the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion to serve on an expert committee tasked with advising the ministry on issues related to a consultation on racism and systemic discrimination. She was also a member of a Statistics Canada expert group on public policy and Black communities in Canada.
She served as a member and Vice-Chair of the Conseil des Montréalaises (2005–2008). The Conseil des Montréalaises acts as an advisory body, either at the request of the Montreal City Council or on its own initiative, providing advice to the municipal administration on gender equality and women’s status.
She served as Co-Lead and Co-Chair of the State, Governance and Justice Committee within GRAHN-Monde between 2012 and 2019. GRAHN-Monde (Reflection and Action Group for a New Haiti) is a think tank founded in Canada on January 20, 2010, by intellectuals from the Haitian diaspora and Haiti. Its objective is to propose and implement sustainable actions to rebuild Haiti in a spirit of solidarity, equality, and inclusion.
AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
Myrlande Pierre has received several awards for her contribution to advancing the rights of women and racialized minorities. In particular, she received the National Assembly Medal in 2018. She is also the recipient of the 2024 UQAM Mosaic Award, presented to graduates with unique career paths whose achievements make an outstanding contribution to the common good and the advancement of society. In 2024, she was awarded the Quebec Business Women’s Award in the Leader of Influence – Public Organization category, recognizing her leadership, influence, and outstanding contribution to the development of Quebec society.
