Skip to content

Feature Article: A fond farewell and retirement

30 Mar, 2022

by Dr. Maggie Morris

At the end of this month we will say a heartfelt goodbye to Liette Perron, a longstanding employee of the SOGC who has left an indelible mark on our Global Health projects. For over 20 years Liette has played an integral role in our Global Health department. From Haiti to Burkina Faso, Liette has worked on numerous international initiatives to advance women’s health. Pictured below are some highlights of her significant work.

The historical perspective, focus and member contributions to these international projects are at the centre of a 2019 JOGC feature The SOGC’s Involvement in International Work in Obstetrics and Gynaecology written by Liette and Dr. Dorothy Shaw. As they write: “From the very beginning, the SOGC’s involvement in global health included international and national advocacy efforts. Internationally, these focused mainly on having professional associations recognized as important stakeholders in global sexual and reproductive health; nationally, the SOGC focused on moving the issue of sexual and reproductive health higher up on the government’s development agenda. On these fronts, the SOGC played a key role in ensuring that health professional associations were recognized as a constituency within the Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), developing and disseminating a joint FIGO and International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) statement on postpartum hemorrhage, and, in Canada, establishing what has evolved into the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH).”

  • Tabora maternal and Newborn initiative (TAMANI), Tanzania, 2019
  • Women and Their Children’s Health (WATCH) Project, Ethiopia, 2010
  • FIGO LOGIC, Nepal, 2010
  • Mères et enfants en Santé (MES)- Oxfam QC, DRC, 2019
  • FIGO LOGIC, Nigeria, 2010
  • FIGO LOGIC, Burkina Faso, circa 2008

Fellow Global Health colleague and friend, Catherine Savoie, had these kind words to share about Liette and her impact on the many people she touched throughout her career: “Liette has been my mentor since I came to SOGC and I have learned so much from her. She is a very professional and generous person. As I plunged deeper into the Global Health network in Canada and abroad, I realised she touched so many people throughout the years; volunteers, staff, partners, etc. I’ve heard only good words! I also know that her work towards the strengthening of Ob/gyn associations in lower-resource countries was extremely appreciated. A hard worker – she gave it all and she will be missed!”

On behalf of all of us at the SOGC, thank you for spearheading so many key international projects and for all of your contributions to our Global Health initiatives. Thank you for your steadfast dedication as you helped advance women’s health around the world. We wish you a wonderful retirement and best wishes on your next adventures!

For those who wish to leave a message for Liette, please do so in the comment box or send a message to dgutierrez@sogc.com who will share messages with Liette.