Message from the President
This past week has brought to the forefront the structural inequalities and systemic discrimination of our neighbours to the south and reminded me of Canada’s current and historic racism toward indigenous communities.
This week, I have watched multiple members of the press get shot with pepper pellets, I’ve seen militarized police attack people on their porches, and I’ve witnessed numerous people comment that it’s just a few bad apples, or that people should just “peacefully protest,” or other dismissive comments.
While the initial spark of this rebellion was in response to the racist murder of a black man by a police officer, images and stories have also highlighted the prevalent misogyny that festers alongside racism and classism. I see flashes of the police officer assaulting a woman while calling her a f***ing b*tch, and, just down in Seattle, a young girl pepper sprayed. But when women banded together, like the linked-arm chain of mostly white women standing between protesters and police, we can use whatever power and privilege we do have for good.
And remember, just last month SCWIST featured an article on how this pandemic (yeah, that’s still happening; and rising authoritarianism globally; and impending environmental collapse, too) has disproportionately negatively impacted women. And it has almost been a year since SCWIST attended “Feminists Deliver,” which occurred the same week as the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls inquiry released their report.
As a STEM women’s equality organization, many of our community partner organizations focus on ending gender-based violence (GBV). Ending GBV is one of three mandates for our major grantor: Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). SCWIST’s IWIS program connects with immigrant women who face multiple barriers in Canada including increased rates of violence.
While SCWIST as an organization has a core focus on supporting all girls and women as related to removing barriers in their participation in STEM, we have recognized the intersectional nature of the community we serve and the multiplying barriers people many experience. We know from the oppression we face as women, how it might possibly feel to be oppressed for your skin colour. Peaceful protests did not get women the right to vote. In the UK, women were arrested and force fed when they attempted hunger strikes during the suffragette movement. Protest, riot, and rebellion are on the same continuum— when asking nicely doesn’t work for the oppressed, we will naturally look for a louder way to be heard.
If you’re wondering what now? what’s next?— there are many ways you can take action. Volunteer with SCWIST or another organization aligned with your values, give what money you can to directly support grassroots and advocacy organizations, write to the media (join our next Informed Opinions workshops for information about how-to), and contact your local politicians. Or run for office yourself, there are provincial elections next year.
Speaking of elections, our AGM timeslot vote was won by the evening of Wednesday June 17, 2020. Members will be receiving their AGM Report 2 weeks beforehand on Wednesday June 3, 2020. I’ve had the pleasure of reading the draft report and I am in awe of our passionate, productive and talented team and the work they did this year toward removing barriers for girls and women in STEM.
Remember that our adult mentoring and skills exchange program, Make Possible, is available virtually; our ms infinity youth e-mentoring program’s spring session recently started; and we continue to include companies that are hiring on our STEM job board. Watch for details of our upcoming Job Fair Day and Volunteer Training event on our web site and in our newsletter.
Masked, in solidarity with protestors, and to limit my germ spread,
Kelly Marciniw, SCWIST President
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