Make It Happen: International Women’s Day at McGill

The afternoon sun shines through the large windows of the SSMU Ballroom. The audience members quietly chat amongst themselves as last minute preparations take place. Four very different, yet equally brilliant women, each a role model in her own right, are ready to share their stories with both men and women alike. When everyone has settled in, Emma Green, Chair of McGill Students for UN Women Canada National Committee (McGill UNWNCC), walks to the front of the room, and the chatter subsides. Everyone is quiet as she introduces the empowering event we are all waiting for: Make It Happen, a celebration of International Women’s Day.

Make It Happen took place on March 11, following International Women’s Day on March 8. The event, which was named after this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, really focused on the success stories of McGill women who “made it.” Nancy Kanwal, McGill UNWNCC Chair of Events, explained the grand idea behind the event: “We thought hosting this event would be an amazing way to connect women who have done amazing work in their respective fields with students on campus. This way, we could truly celebrate their accomplishments and how they ‘made it happen.’” Professor Margaret Graham from the Faculty of Management, Professor Odile Liboiron-Ladouceur from the Electrical Engineering department, Star Gale, a current Bachelor of Social Work student who co-runs a homeless shelter, and Professor Julie Norman from the Political Science department were among those who shared their experiences of how they “made it happen” and overcame the obstacles they faced.

Professor Margaret Graham speaking at the Make It Happen Event

Professor Margaret Graham divulged her illustrious career and her approach to success. Throughout her career, Professor Graham, who earned her MA, MBA and PhD from Harvard has achieved many great feats such as being a founding director of the Winthrop Group Inc. and the Dean of Faculty at Boston University.  As she explained her success story, she shared the valuable advice that led her there. Professor Graham disclosed that she took the positions that men did not value, and then showed them why those positions were important and desirable. This gave her an important advantage in the business world where women were just beginning to make a mark.

Professor Odile Liboiron-Ladouceur discussed her experiences of being a woman in the male-dominated field of engineering and balancing her work and family life. Professor Liboiron-Ladouceur stressed that she did not recognize inequalities when she was younger, but now that she is older, she is a lot more aware of the obstacles she faces. For instance, the issue of unequal pay. As we all know, women and men still do not make the same amount of money for doing the same work despite the general consensus that men and women should be treated equally. Additionally, Professor Liboiron-Ladouceur stresses that women should not have to decide between having a family and a career. Instead they should choose a partner who will not make them choose and will share the work of raising children, so that they can both have careers should they desire to. This is how she has and continues to “make it happen.”

Star Gale speaking alongside Professor Julie Norman

Star Gale, began by clarifying that she was not a social worker, but that she did do social work by aiding those who came to the shelter that she co-runs. Star explained that everyone is on a different journey and faces different obstacles and she also reminded us that we must not overlook the rights of others, such as those of sex workers or members of the transgender community, as we work to obtain our own rights and to be aware of our privilege, which can influence our perspective. Star is currently “making it happen” by working towards her Bachelor of Social Work and doing thankless work for the people who visit the shelter she co-runs.

Professor Julie Norman shared her journey in deciding what she wanted to do and what career path she chose to follow. She informed us of her studies in the US and how she desired differing perspectives on the Middle East and the conflicts there, which is what pushed her to Cairo to work with youth and media. Professor Norman gave the reassuring tip that it is okay to be unsure of what you want to do and it is okay to take chances.

These four women, just a few of the many remarkable women at McGill, conluded by answering questions, including the always-asked “How do you become successful?” and addressing opinions on the #HeForShe Campaign.  While there is still an inequality gap between men and women that needs to be bridged (as demonstrated by the International Women’s Day March), it is also important to celebrate our successes and victories with empowering events such as this one, because man or woman, you can make it happen.

Photos provided by McGill Students for UN Women Canada National Committee.