...I would get rid of racial stereotypes

Today I went to see the talk by Mbenga Sesan on technology in Nigeria and after his rushed 15 minute talk (he had to catch a plane), I decided to stay and listen to the next speaker, who gave an incredibly inspiring talk on black identity. Being white, you probably wouldn’t think I’d find it all that interesting, but I found myself on the edge of my seat.

She started off her talk with a question to the (mostly black) audience: “When did you realize you were black?” And the answers really surprised me. Anybody who was an immigrant said they realized when they came to Canada, where being black stands out. The speaker said in Canada, people describe others using hair colours or freckles, whereas in Africa, these differences don’t exist. She also described an event where she felt stereotyped based on her race, when a cashier made sure to count her money twice to make sure she wasn’t ripping them off. She transitioned her talk into a call to action: “You can redefine the black stereotype”. Although I couldn’t relate to her challenges, I left the room feeling empowered.

But her question also really got me thinking. When did I realize I was white? Personally, I cannot think of a defining moment and I’m not sure I’ve ever had one. But I’d like to ask you that question. When did you first realize race existed and you were categorized in one group or another based on your skin colour? And what do you think should be done to reverse negative racial stereotypes?

...I would make gender equality global

Happy International Women’s Day!

As a woman, I feel so fortunate to have grown up in Canada, where I feel I have all the same options as a man. Rarely have I ever felt that I’m not able to do something because I’m a female. One complaint in Canada is that males still receive higher pay (the average 2008 hourly wage of Canadian workers was $25.92 for males and $22.00 for females) and receive more management positions. I feel this is changing with females comprising 57% of Canadian University enrollment and entering the workforce. However, I’m not sure if there will ever be total equality due to the biological fact that women give birth. As well, I think women often tend towards careers that happen to be lower paying. Many women prefer to be teachers or social workers than engineers and architects. In International Development, our program is very female-dominated, yet we’re going into one of the lowest paying fields there is. Clearly high wages aren’t necessarily a motivating factor for many women.

In my family, my Mom chose to be a stay-at-home mom while my Dad had the income. To me, I don’t feel this made the gender dynamic unequal; yet to many, this is a sign of gender inequality.

Despite some gender differences in Canada, I feel pretty comfortable with my status as a woman.

To me, International Women’s Day is now more about the women in countries where there’s still substantial inequality. There are lots of facts on women’s global inequality:

•  603 million women live in countries where domestic violence is not illegal
•  In Saudi Arabia, women do not have the right to vote or drive
• Sex selective abortion is used to prevent an estimated 100 million female births globally, particularly in India and China
• Each day, 39 000 girls under age 18 are married
• There are approximately 1.36 million women working as sex slaves globally 

These are just some statistics but there are real women behind each of them and we need to change the stats for them. To me, International Women’s Day is a day to highlight these girls and women who don't have the opportunities I do. What does International Women's Day mean to you?

To finish on a more positive note, here's a song UN Women has created for International Women's Day: