I spent some time recently chatting with Ninu Forrest, Alexa Lewis, and Kayleigh Erickson, three amazing ladies who are proving to UVic, their communities, and Canada, that women belong in, and are integral to, politics. They were chosen to be delegates for the Daughters of the Vote National Leadership Forum, put on by Equal Voice. Marking the “100th anniversary of women’s formal federal political engagement — along with Canada’s 150th birthday” to meet with other women from across Canada, hear from women in the political sphere, and discuss some of the issues that are most important to them. They told me a bit about their experiences, what they learnt, and how to get involved here at UVic!
HC: Ok, first things first: where are you from originally, what year are you in, and what’s your major/minor/concentration?
Ninu: I’m from Victoria. I’m a third year doing a Political Science major and a European Studies minor.
Alexa: I’m from Vernon. I’m in third year as well, doing a Political Science major and a Greek and Roman Studies minor.
Kayleigh: I’m from Surrey, British Columbia! I’m in my fifth year, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Sociology, with a concentration in International Relations.
HC: What was the Daughters of the Vote National Leadership Forum all about? And what was the process of preparing for it?
Kayleigh: The Daughters of the Vote National Leadership forum brought together young women from across Canada to engage and participate in discussions on increasing the representation of women in government. The forum provided opportunities to speak to and hear from other women as well as various people working in politics, deconstruct the patriarchal political sphere, and reinforce the importance of lifting each other up so that we can all move forward together. The forum provided policy debates and speeches by current and past female politicians, and allowed us to reflect on the women who came before us, who paved the way for the suffrage that women enjoy today.
Ninu: There was lots of preparation we had to do after we found out we were going, there was an event at the BC Legislature for all the women coming from BC to meet each other and learn a bit about what we’d be doing. They gave us homework, doing things like reaching out to Members of Parliament before going to Ottawa. Then we all came together for the forum in Ottawa from March 6th-9th (during International Women’s Day on March 8th). Though it won’t be next year, I know the organization that organized it, Equal Voice, is planning to have another forum at some point.
HC: How did you apply and get chosen for it?
Ninu: We don’t fully know the criteria or how we were chosen, but it was decided by a panel for each province and territory composed of women in politics, like Carole James (MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill and former BC NDP leader) was on the BC panel. We sent in a resume, and answered some questions for the application. They tried to get diverse representation of women all over Canada, and ensure there was representation of minorities and marginalized groups.
HC: Was there an experience that stands out to you as a highlight or something really powerful that happened during the forum?
Kayleigh: I’d say it was on International Women’s Day, when 337 women (one woman left her seat empty to symbolize on-going violence against women that threatens women’s lives daily), took their seats in the House of Commons. Sixteen of us had an opportunity to speak, and I was given the honor of addressing sexual assaults on university campuses. What stood out for me the most was the respect and support that we all had for each other, regardless of political affiliation or personal ideology. There were tears, standing ovations, and a sense of solidarity amongst everyone in the House, which was a moving and inspiring experience. It gives me hope for the future of politics.
Ninu: Yeah, having all these women in the House was a really powerful thing to see and experience.
Alexa : I think we all kind of had moment in the House where we were just like “Wow, okay, I‘m here.” I was also really lucky because my Aunt knows a Senator and got me in touch with her so could meet her. She took me out to dinner, and we got to talk a lot, I was really excited to talk to her about constitutional law, because it’s something I’m really passionate about
Ninu: There really were so many highlights, we had basically no breaks. I’m not sure if this was a highlight, but a cool moment happened after I had been worrying a lot about stuff I had to catch up on after missing school and everything, I was at the hotel and had to leave for a bit and do some work. There was this great speaker, Celina Caesar-Chavannes (MP for Whitby, Ontario) who was talking about how, working in politics, but also being a wife, mom, daughter, etc., she’s got to be in the moment at work, and just focused on what she’s doing at that time; I felt like I related to that a lot at that moment and it helped a lot to hear it.
Alexa: Yeah, the speakers were all really great. Something really cool was the simultaneous translations during speeches, because it took away any language barriers. Canada is a bilingual country, which we don’t really acknowledge here in BC, but we were reminded of it there.
HC: Was there something that really impacted you, that you learnt or were surprised by from the forum?
Alexa: Politics is exhausting. I think we have image of MPs in our heads, that they just sit and read emails and make phone calls. We are quick to say it’s their fault that things aren’t right, but trying to satisfy so many people in their riding, and in Canada, is a huge job, especially with a population that’s divided on a lot of issues. They have to be always on. It’s not just a 9-5 kind of job and they do a lot of hard work.
Ninu: Something that was reinforced for me, and maybe I’m being too optimistic, but I really have hope for the next generation in politics. I noticed that in our generation, people can have different views but are still willing to hear other side, try to see the value in other people’s ideas even when they conflict, and work to compromise. I’m hoping it also means we’ll see more participation in the political process from young people, especially women.
Alexa: For sure, voting is such a privilege that we need to take advantage of. We have the opportunity to have a say in choosing our government, which lots of people still don’t have.
Kayleigh: Something that sticks out for me was having the privilege of meeting an incredible woman named Brielle. She became the first transgender Canadian to sit in the House of Commons when we took our seats on International Women’s Day — it was a beautiful moment, but also one that gives you pause as you reflect on why it has taken so long for this to be a reality.
HC: Was there a speaker in particular that inspired you?
Kayleigh: I attended a panel discussion on the intersection of law and politics, and one of the panelists was Senator Marilou McPhedran, who’s not only a Senator, but also a lawyer, a human rights advocate, and one of the founders of the Leaf organization (Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund), which takes on equality test cases. She inspired me with her history of advocacy, her tireless work on sexualized violence, and her powerful story about the lengths she had to go through to make important constitutional changes to protect and to recognize the legal standing of women in our country. She’s also the youngest lawyer to receive the Order of Canada.
Ninu: Celina Caesar-Chavannes, the woman who I was talking about before, was really great talking about balancing multiple commitments, and really focussing 100% of your energy on what you’re doing at that moment, and then moving on to the next thing.
Alexa: The Minister of Defence, Harjit Sajjan was really interesting, just because what he was talking about, with defence was something I am really interested in, and it was different from a lot of the other speeches. All the speakers were really great though, Maryam Monsef, the Minister of the Status of Women, was really great because she engaged with us, she asked us questions throughout her speech and didn’t just talk at us the whole time. But overall, the speakers were good, but the daughters (the women at the forum) were better. They are women that have faced so many hardships but still are being bosses; they are all kicking ass.
HC: On the less serious side, did you learn anything interesting, or any fun facts and secrets about the Parliament buildings, or the House?
Alexa: The senator I met took me to the House of Commons Library, which I wouldn’t have been allowed in regularly, and I got to see the original BNA act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was really great. Also, the seats in the House are tiny! I’m not exactly a big person, but you are shoulder to shoulder with those sitting next to you!
Ninu: I learnt that the West Block is being transformed to accommodate the House of Commons and Senate while Centre Block is under restoration. There is going to be a glass ceiling (kind of ironic when talking about women in politics) to allow lots of natural light into the temporary chambers.
Kayleigh: I learnt that the House of Commons library has survived two fires and is one of the only sections of the Parliament buildings that survived. Also, fun fact: when Elizabeth May was denied her own office as the Green Party only has one seat, she made the library her office and could be found researching at a table in the library — now that’s my kind of office!
HC: If someone wanted to get involved with Equal Voice how do they do that?
Ninu: Luckily, in Victoria there is an Equal Voice chapter already established. Folks can contact equalvoiceBC@equalvoice.ca if they have more questions and can sign up at https://www.equalvoice.ca/memCampaignJoin.cfm. Membership for youth is is $10 per year!
Alexa: We also starting a UVic-specific chapter in September. Come out and join!
Kayleigh: Also, get involved in politics in general! Volunteer on a political campaign or join student politics! Start attending political events to network, run for student council, put your name forward for political opportunities, and get to know your fellow politically engaged classmates and professors! There are so many diverse opportunities for you to get involved, so find the one that best works for you and go for it!
HC: Thanks so much for answering my questions! Is there anything else you want to add?
Kayleigh: I’d encourage everyone to start critically engaging with the ways in which our lives are gendered, and start to defy stereotypes and binaries. One of the ways we can even do that on our campus is to question why men’s sports are so heavily promoted over women’s, and to start attending women’s games.
Ninu: Women cannot and should not stay complacent on the issue of our rightful participation in the political system. Although the status quo is better than in the past, there are many areas in which we still need to assert ourselves as leaders.
Alexa: I just wanted to say how thankful I am for the opportunity I received through Daughters of the Vote, and I hope it inspires other young women to commit themselves to their own goals.
Check out part 2 of our interview coming soon! We talk about why women in politics matter, great female role models, and developing a dependence on coffee!
Photo credits: 1/Ninu Forrest/Alexa Lewis