Francine Descarries, a Canadian sociologist and professor of sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, died on March 16, 2026, at age 84.
Born in Montreal in 1942, she was considered a leading figure in feminist studies in Quebec. At 16, after her father’s death, she left school to help her family afford her brother’s medical training.
She later worked as a legal secretary and travel agent, then returned to school at 27 after the birth of her second child. In 1980, she published “L’École rose… et les cols roses,” based on her master’s research on the sexual division of labour and social reproduction in Quebec workplaces and schools.
Francine Descarries (1942 – March 2026) was a Canadian sociologist. She was a professor of sociology at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Descarries is considered a leading figure in feminist studies in Quebec.