At the age of 16, after the death of her father, Descarries left school so that her family could afford her brother's medical training. Descarries found work as a legal secretary then as a travel agent, then left the workforce to care for her children. In 1980, Descarries published ''L'École rose… et les cols roses'' (The pink school... and the
pink collar), based on her master's research. The book addressed the
sexual division of labour and
social reproduction in workplaces and schools in Quebec. In 1985, she joined the faculty at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). == Awards and honours ==