Reflections on Women Deliver 2019: The Power of Women

By Angela Marcakis, CASJ Status of Women Action Group, BCTF Women in Negotiations, and Surrey teacher

Last June, I had the privilege of attending the Women Deliver Conference. Over 8,000 delegates from more than 165 countries explored how power can drive (or hinder) progress and change for a more gender-equal world.

The Power of Gender Equality The buzz of a room full of powerful feminist leaders from around the world surrounded me as I anxiously waited for the opening plenary to start. As a hush fell over the crowd, the evening began with a powerful welcome by women leaders from the Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueam, and Squamish First Nations.

Katja Iversen, President and CEO of Women Deliver, set the tone with her inspirational words: “We are here to demonstrate the power of gender equality for and with millions of women and girls. A gender-equal world is healthier, wealthier, more productive, and more peaceful. In a gender-equal world, everybody wins.”

When Prime Minister Trudeau took the stage, I was glad he acknowledged the report and recommendations on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls by recognizing the genocide of Indigenous people. The evening ended with a panel of world powerhouse leaders. The takeaway question for the night was, “How will you use your power to change the world?”

The Power of Education I began the conference by listening to a panel discuss gendertransformative education and the power of education to deliver gender equality. In Ghana, the

school environment isn’t suitable for girls at all. How can girls go to a school where they have no access to feminine hygiene products, where sexual harassment runs rampant, and where there is no freedom to choose what they want to be?

If the future is technological, then it is a real challenge to our future equality that so few girls have access to technology education now. The primary textbooks in India don’t have a single picture of a woman that is in an industry, business, or banking position. What message does that send to girls? As one panellist noted, “We can’t be what we can’t see.” If we want to see women as presidents and in senior positions, girls need to begin receiving training early in their education, and we need to make schools safe.

“The first Women Deliver was about women delivering babies. Now we deliver so much more.” —Melinda Gates

The Power of Indigenous Families A notable session was on intergenerational and lifelong trauma from child apprehension. While Aboriginal children make up less than 7% of the population, they represent 48% of apprehended children. We are in a national crisis with a system that is geared to removing Aboriginal children from their communities and placing them in homes with no knowledge of their culture and history. Indigenous women have to jump through several hoops just to visit with their apprehended children. Aging out of foster care is one of the scariest things for apprehended youth, and they are dying because there are no supports in place for them.

We need to stop removing children from their families and instead help support the parents who are struggling due to the trauma from colonization. If we view parenting struggles through a holistic lens and start supporting both the child’s and the parents’ needs, we can keep families together by fostering the whole family—a method that acknowledges colonial history and accountability. After all, the best interest of the family is also the best interest of the child.

The Power of Movements One of the most powerful sessions I attended was “In the Wake of #MeToo, What Does the Workplace Look Like Now?” The number of reported cases of workplace harassment and the number of women accessing legal assistance have grown since the #MeToo movement shone a light on harassment in the workplace. When asked who in the room had directly or indirectly experienced workplace harassment, nearly every audience member raised their hand.

Despite the courage the #MeToo movement has given victims of harassment, retaliation is still a major issue. Those with the courage to report can become targets, which affects their future job prospects, their self-esteem, and their sense of purpose. We need to keep supporting those who are brave enough to come forward and share their stories.

Some men’s sense of entitlement, presumption that women won’t report or fight back, and reluctance to support and speak out when witnessing workplace harassment has exacerbated the power imbalance in the workplace. Until we close the power gap, sexual harassment will continue. In order to combat this, we need to build a culture of respect and equality. Yes, it will take a lot of work! Based on our progress so far, we are still 108 years from gender equality.

As a result of the #MeToo movement, the percentage of male managers who identify as feeling uncomfortable interacting with women has increased from 32% in 2018 to 60% in 2019. Some men avoid interacting with women, claiming to be victims of the #MeToo movement and fearful of being accused or falsely accused. Yet only 2–8% of sexual harassment accusations are false. The movement isn’t about ruining men—it’s about men taking accountability.

“Men are afraid now in the workplace? Well, women have been afraid this whole time!” —Wade Davis

We also need to remember the forgotten women. The movement started with Tarana Burke who began the #MeToo movement to empower black women and girls. Women of colour are more vulnerable to workplace harassment, yet they are less likely to be believed. LGBTQ2S+ people are also more susceptible but have less access to the justice system.

“Power is being believed no matter how little sense you make and how little evidence you have. Powerlessness is not being believed no matter how much evidence you have and how much sense you make.” —Catharine MacKinnon

I also attended a plenary called “The Power Of Movements: What happens when many demand change.” I was immensely moved by this incredible panel of women leading movements for the rights of women, girls, and gender and sexual minorities.

Indian journalist and moderator Barkha Dutt reminded us of the power behind our stories. “No matter where we are, we are in battle. There’s one thing that unites all movements, and that is breaking the silence. I stand here to tell my story because movements cannot be driven by silence. Movements can only be driven if we decide to take a pledge to break our own silence.”

Ailbhe Smyth, who steered the abortion referendum in Ireland, continued the discourse on the power of personal stories: “Sharing our stories with each other turned our hearts over. Then we grabbed the issue by the throat and fought for abortion access in five years. We got it in four-and-a-half years.”

Tarana Burke reminded us that there is also power in holding your story and using it when you want to. Having to tell our stories publicly is an undue burden on women. She urged us to be careful and thoughtful, and to not feel intimidated into sharing our stories in order to move along the movement. “Me too”—the words are simple; the power behind them is not.

Yvonne Leina Chi shared her story about breaking the silence around breast ironing in Cameroon, a traditional practice aimed at preventing sexual harassment and teen pregnancy, impacting 3–4 million women and girls. When Yvonne was just 14, she witnessed her grandmother taking a hot coal from the fire and burning the breasts of her cousin repeatedly, despite her excruciating pain. A few months later, when her grandmother asked her to remove her shirt while she held a

hot coal in her hands, Yvonne yelled “NO!” and startled her grandmother into dropping the stone. It was at this moment that she realized the power of her voice.

Haldis Holst, Deputy General Secretary of Education International, spoke about the power of unions. “Unions were the first movements. Never forget that. The foundation of the union movement is knowing it was through collective power that women could achieve individual power and then gain rights.” Some of these union-won rights include weekends, sick leave, parental leave, and paid vacations.

I was so inspired by the unity of these feminist activists who have built global movements that have strengthened our front in the fight against patriarchy.

The Power of All The closing plenary, “The Power of All,” was a celebration of the Women Deliver 2019 Conference. I was sad to see it ending. It felt like if we could just spend more time together, we could really change the world. Katja Iversen, founder of Women Deliver, concluded by expressing her hopes that the conference would make our advocacy stronger: “As big as this week has been, it’s only one moment. It’s not the summit, but a start, and we’re going high. A gender-equal world is in reach. So, let’s vote with our ballots and our wallets for gender equality. Let’s break down the silos, work across generations, and engage more men. Let’s get more people on board and inspire the world to harness its power for good. When we do things together, it’s far better than dreaming it alone. Use your power for good every day. Be ambitious! We can’t wait to see what you all do on your journey.”

How Will You Use Your Power? As a teacher, I will continue to work with the power of youth engagement to drive solutions for gender equality around the world. In order to create meaningful change for girls, we need to listen to, engage with, and cocreate for young people.

As a member of the Surrey Teachers’ Association’s Executive Committee, I will continue to work with the power of the union to fight for our femaledominated profession and make our privileges universal for all women and girls across the globe.