Creating Safe Spaces for Trans Girls

2016-03-10T14:35:33+00:00March 10, 2016|Empowering girls|

Four children laying in a circleA safe space. It’s the magnet that draws many participants to the girls’ programs funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The programs offer an oasis where girls age nine and up can connect, develop new skills, build confidence and, most importantly, be themselves.

But how do we ensure that these programs are safe spaces for kids who are questioning their gender or who identify as transgender?

It’s an important question, given the growing awareness about creating supportive environments for transgender youth. Children may start questioning their gender from a fairly young age: a report from the Trans PULSE project says that 59% of survey respondents knew their gender identity did not match their assigned gender before age 10 and 80% knew by age 14.

Some Clothes Cost More Than You Think

2017-12-19T17:12:35+00:00March 8, 2016|Empowering girls, Women in media|

As We Are Poster“Girls just want to wear diamonds.”

“Allergic to Algebra.”

“I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.”

“Future trophy wife.”

It’s hard to believe, but stores in Canada market girls’ T-shirts bearing disempowering messages like these. Stereotypes sell, even though they’re the last thing girls need.

Say it louder: No one ever deserves violence

2017-12-19T17:12:49+00:00March 3, 2016|Gender-based violence, Sexual abuse|

Woman outsideThis article was originally published on the Huffington Post.

Chances are you know someone who has experienced gender-based violence (GBV). 67% of all Canadians say they personally know at least one woman who has been sexually or physically assaulted - and that’s just those that have been told. Stigma and fear of not being believed are real concerns of survivors and many women avoid telling people close to them because they don’t think they will be supported.

The positive effects of having supportive people around when someone decides to share their experiences cannot be underestimated. Not only does it open up the possibility of sharing at all, it encourages survivors to seek counselling and other supports, reducing levels of depression, anxiety and PTSD, and lessening the likelihood of experiencing abuse again. If someone chooses to disclose to you, the best thing you can do is believe them, avoid judgement, put their needs first, and understand that everyone reacts differently to trauma.

Gender Inequality? This is Still a Thing? You Bet Your Ass It Is

2018-06-28T14:55:00+00:00March 1, 2016|Corporate, Empowering girls, Guest bloggers, How to, Women’s poverty|

Woman speaking into megaphoneThis blog post was originally published on the Realfword.

A couple years ago I took 10 young female managers from my company to a leadership session hosted by WXN (Women’s Executive Network) for female leaders. That year, I had the honour of being awarded one of Canada’s top 100 most Powerful Women, and on the day of the gala awards they hosted a symposium for women. I was excited that the team of female managers/leaders I took had the opportunity to listen to successful female leaders on a variety of topics.