With MP Jagmeet Singh, lawyer, human rights activist, and Leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party. Referenced Link: awarepod.com Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdnX: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Elizabeth Renzetti, journalist and author. Her most recent book is the national bestseller What She Said: Conversations About Equality. In 2020 she won the Landsberg Prize, presented by Canadian Journalism Foundation and Canadian Women’s Foundation, for her reporting on gender equality. She is co-author, with Kate Hilton, of the Quill & Packet series of mystery novels. She lives in Toronto with her family and two very bad cats. Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, author of her 2024 memoir, Unlike The Rest: A Doctor’s Story. Dr. Oriuwa is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, where she was named the valedictorian of her graduating medical class in 2020. She is a physician, professional spoken word poet, international public speaker, writer, and champion of authentic leadership through genuine human connections. Presently, Dr. Oriuwa is completing her residency in psychiatry at the University of Toronto where she aims to go on to complete further sub-specialist training in forensic neuro-psychiatry. Dr. Oriuwa has served on a variety boards, using her expertise to influence their efforts in creating equal opportunity and curating spaces of wellness and artistic expression. She is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards and honors, including being recognized as one of Best Health Magazine's '2020 Women of the Year' and TIME Magazine's  Next Generation Leaders. Additionally, Dr. Oriuwa was recently honored in Mattel’s #ThankYouHeroes campaign alongside five other women with a one-of-kind Barbie doll made in her image to commemorate her contributions as a frontline healthcare worker. Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Hillary LeBlanc, a winner of Canadian Women’s Foundation’s inaugural 2024 Feminist Creator Prize. As an Acadian-Senegalese woman, Hillary has spent her career working in the non-profit sector, sharing stories of those in marginalized communities she herself has lived experience in. Hillary founded BlackLantic, a podcast bringing East Coast voices to the world. As a journalist, she has written for Narcity, CBC, ByBlacks, Addicted Magazine, and more. She produced her own radio series and hosted several red carpets. Hillary has received distinction from the House of Commons, was named Digital Innovator at the Black Business Professionals Network Youth Changemaker Awards, and was nominated for Youth Entrepreneur of the Year by the Black Business Initiative. She holds a degree in English from l’Université de Moncton. A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence, mental health, and addiction. Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Lindsay Jones, a reporter based in Halifax for The Globe and Mail. Earlier this year, she won the prestigious Landsberg Award, presented by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and the Canadian Journalism Foundation. She won for a body of work that investigated stories of a sexual assault and abuse of power of police officers, sex worker rights, and online bullying and identity theft. She has written for Wired, The Walrus, Chatelaine, The Atavist and Maclean’s. Her 2023 story Who’s Going to Believe Me published in The Walrus won a National Magazine Award in investigative reporting, and that same year, her in-depth feature that revealed a switched at birth case in Manitoba was a National Newspaper Award finalist.   A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence. Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Mitzie Hunter, new President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. Mitzie is a dynamic, community-grounded leader. Her 30 years of leadership spans the nonprofit sector, private sector, and government. Mitzie has a trailblazing track record and many successes championing infrastructure and community improvements. She was the first Black woman to serve as Ontario’s Minister of Education. She also served as Ontario’s Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development and Associate Minister of Finance. Mitzie is a respected advocate for diverse women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and nonbinary people across Canada. She is known for her expertise in an array of issues, from women’s leadership to inclusive economies to sustainable neighbourhood and city building. Mitzie is a founding visionary of the Prosperity Project. She served as Chief Administrative Officer of Toronto Community Housing Corporation, CEO of CivicAction, Vice President of External Relations and Corporate Secretary at Goodwill Industries, and President of SMART Toronto, a technology hub. She is a Senior Fellow with the C.D. Howe Institute and a Canadian Urban Leader at the University of Toronto’s School of Cities. Mitzie has also served in several board leadership positions in nonprofit and public service bodies, including United Way Greater Toronto and TVO. In 2023, Mitzie ran for mayor in the City of Toronto by-election.Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn 

With Liza Vityuk at McKinsey & Company. Discrimination based on gender and other connected factors like our race and ability impacts our health in so many ways. In honour of International Day of Action for Women's Health, we’ve focused on gender and health matters we may know bits and pieces of but probably need to learn more about. Our guest Liza Vityuk is Partner at McKinsey & Company. She has more than 15 years of experience in commercial and growth strategies, building digital businesses, and improving customer experience globally. Liza is the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in Canada, overseeing efforts for more than 1,300 colleagues. She joins us to speak to McKinsey Health Institute’s 2024 report, “Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies”. It points to some big findings. While women live longer than men, they spend 25% more of their lives in debilitating health.    The study of biology defaults to the male body, which results in many treatments being less effective for women.   Women face more barriers to care, timely diagnosis, and good healthcare treatment.   And health burdens for women are systematically underestimated, with datasets that exclude or undervalue important conditions.   This is our last episode of Alright, Now What? for few months. We’re taking a summer break and will start up again in the fall with more great topics and guests. Thank you so much for your listenership and support.  Relevant Links: McKinsey Health Institute’s, “Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies” report  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Carissa Gravelle at Heart and Stroke Foundation. The link between experiences of discrimination and your health and wellness is undeniable. It's all about the “social determinants of health”. Discrimination based on gender and other connected factors like our race and ability impacts our health in so many ways. For example, we get treated differently based on our gender in healthcare settings. Our access to relevant health services and options differs wildly depending on our gender. Even the medical research that gets funded and acted on depends on our gender.   In honour of International Day of Action for Women's Health, we’re focusing on gender and health matters we may know bits and pieces of but probably need to learn more about.  Our guest Carissa Gravelle is passionate about anti-racism, diversity, inclusion, young people, under-represented populations, mental health, and wellness. Carissa has worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade spearheading equity, diversity, inclusion, and access initiatives. Carissa works to advance health equity for marginalized populations and believes in the importance of educating through storytelling and meaningful conversations to change perceptions and inspire social change.  Relevant Links: Heart and Stroke Foundation  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, healthcare leader and Affiliate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University. The link between discrimination and your health is undeniable. Discrimination based on gender and other connected factors like our race and ability impacts our health in so many ways. For example, we get treated differently based on our gender in healthcare settings. Our access to relevant health services and options differs wildly depending on our gender. Even the medical research that gets funded and acted on depends on our gender.  May 28 is International Day of Action for Women's Health. For the next few episodes, we’ll focus on gender and health matters. Our guest Dr. Saskia Sivananthan is a healthcare leader and advocate building strategies and solutions for older adults. As Affiliate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McGill University and former Chief Research & Knowledge Translation Officer at the Alzheimer Society of Canada, she shines a spotlight on the needs of people living with dementia. In 2020, she was appointed to the federal Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia, and she has worked with many bodies and organizations including the OECD. Dr. Sivananthan is a neuroscientist and health data scientist who has contributed to several international publications, articles, and reports.Relevant Links: Alzheimer Society of Canada, Egale’s Help Us Remain campaign Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn

With The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. As the Department of Finance Canada notes, the federal budget is “a blueprint for how the Government wants to set the annual economic agenda for Canada.” As Canada’s public foundation for gender justice and equality, government spending decisions are always a key topic for the Canadian Women’s Foundation. The focus of government spending affects all our lives, every single day, in so many ways. Government investment decisions are powerful tools that can maintain things as they are or profoundly change them, for better or for worse. The 2024 Federal Budget was recently released and we co-hosted an analysis of it with Oxfam Canada and other national feminist voices. We discussed how investments stack up for women and gender-diverse people and for moving the needle on gender equality. In this bonus episode, we speak with the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau on this very topic. Relevant Links: Feminist Federal Budget Response Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠ Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor. Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Tracey Lindeman, author of BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care. The link between discrimination and your health is undeniable. The World Health Organization describes social determinants of health as “non-medical factors that influence health outcomes”, the “conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.”  Discrimination based on gender and other connected factors like our race and ability impacts our health in so many ways. For example, we get treated differently based on our gender in heathcare settings. Our access to relevant health services and options differs wildly depending on our gender. Even the medical research that gets funded and acted on depends on our gender.   May 28 is International Day of Action for Women's Health. For the next few episodes, we’ll focus on gender and health matters.  Our guest Tracey Lindeman is a longtime freelance journalist. She’s published in The Guardian, the Associated Press, CBC, Fortune, and more. She is author of BLEED: Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care. She is from Montreal and currently lives in western Quebec.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant Links: bleedthebook.com  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Catherine Abreu of Destination Zero. I’ve heard people say, “climate disaster knows no bounds” and “it discriminates against no one.” There’s a sense in which that’s true. But impacts of climate change affect different people in Canada and around the world differently, depending on who they are.   Women, girls, and gender-diverse people often experience harsher impacts of climate change, especially if they are marginalized due to racism, poverty, and other factors. They’re also an important part of effective climate solutions. Gender equality itself is a climate crisis solution.  Our guest Catherine Abreu is Founder and Executive Director of Destination Zero and an internationally recognized, award-winning climate justice advocate. Recognized for her diplomacy, communication, and coalition-building skills, she's one of the world’s top 100 climate policy influencers according to Apolitical. Catherine was named the 2023 National Hero by Canada’s Walk of Fame. She’s a member of Canada's Net-Zero Advisory Body, the expert body tasked with providing advice to government on pathways to meet climate commitments. She is an advisor to the Canadian Climate Institute and sits on the Boards and steering committees of several organizations, including Climate Action Network Canada, the Global Gas and Oil Network, and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. Catherine is the recipient of the 2020 Jack Layton Progress Prize. She is a vital figure in climate policy and action, shaping global discussions on the transition toward clean energy.  Relevant links: destinationzero.earth  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With cave diver and climate advocate Jill Heinerth. Climate change affects us all. But women, girls, and gender-diverse people often experience harsher impacts of climate change, especially those who are most marginalized. They’re also an important part of effective climate solutions. Gender equality itself is a climate crisis solution.  Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner Autumn Peltier says, “I advocate for water because we all came from water and water is literally the only reason we are here today and living on this earth.”  The United Nations says, “from unpredictable rainfall patterns to shrinking ice sheets, rising sea levels, floods and droughts – most impacts of climate change come down to water.” Knowing what's happening with our world’s water – and how we can protect and honour it as a life-giving force we all need – is essential.   More people have walked on the moon than visited many of the places our guest Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. From the most dangerous technical dives deep inside underwater caves to swimming through giant Antarctic icebergs, she collaborates with climatologists, archaeologists, biologists, and engineers worldwide.   Jill is a tireless advocate for underwater conservation and water resource protection. She has made award-winning TV programs, consulted on movies, and produced documentary films. Over two and a half million people have learned about climate change, water advocacy, and exploration by viewing her TED Talks.  Jill was named the first Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and she is the recipient of many medals and awards. She is author of the bestselling memoir, Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, and focus of a new documentary, Diving Into The Darkness.  Relevant links: intotheplanet.com  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Mandi Gray, author of Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law. #MeToo made headlines around the world in 2017 and thousands publicly shared their experiences of sexual victimization. The “me too” movement was first established in 2006 by American activist Tarana Burke. #MeToo has been called a watershed moment for gender equality, giving a powerful platform to sexual violence survivors.  And many of us have experienced sexual assault and harassment in our lives. In Canada, 30% of women over age 15 report experiencing sexual assault at least once. The rate of sexual assault against Indigenous women and women with disabilities is even higher.  But some survivors who said “me too” found themselves subject to defamation lawsuits that, in some cases, might drag on for years. What are the legal matters behind these civil suits?  Our guest Mandi Gray is an assistant professor at Trent University. She has been involved in anti-violence activism since 2008. Her debut book, Suing for Silence: Sexual Violence and Defamation Law, critically examines the growing trend of men accused of sexual violence suing their accusers.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: yescountmein.ca  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Prachi Gupta, author of They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies that Raised Us. The Canadian Encyclopedia says the model minority is a stereotype that “depicts Asians as hard working, successful at school and in the workplace, and as economically prosperous.”   It may seem like a positive stereotype. But it divides non-model and model racialized communities, ignores vast disparities in wealth and well-being faced by pan-Asian people, and trivializes the impacts of racism.  That the model minority stereotype is racist is no question. But how does it impact people differently depending on their gender? How does it work to alienate us from ourselves and from each other?  We’re joined by Prachi Gupta, award-winning journalist and former senior reporter at Jezebel. She won a Writers Guild Award for her investigative essay “Stories About My Brother.” Her work was featured in The Best American Magazine Writing 2021 and has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post Magazine, Marie Claire, Salon, Elle, and elsewhere. They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies that Raised Us is her debut memoir, named one of the top 40 books of 2023 by Amazon and top 18 memoirs of the year by Audible. She lives in Brooklyn.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Katie Harper at Project Neutral. I’ve heard people say, “climate disaster knows no bounds”. There’s a sense in which that’s true. But impacts of climate change affect different people in Canada and around the world differently, depending on who they are.   Women, girls, and gender-diverse people often experience harsher impacts of climate change, especially if they are marginalized due to racism, poverty, and other factors. They’re also an important part of effective climate solutions. Gender equality itself is a climate crisis solution.  Guest Katie Harper is Senior Advisor at Project Neutral. She designs and delivers climate education and activation programs including Talk Climate to Me, an award-winning course for women and allies. Katie has worked on climate engagement in non-profit and corporate sectors for 15 years and holds a Masters in freshwater ecology from McGill University. She delights in stopping to talk to anyone looking at a map on a street corner, and that same desire to make people feel welcome animates her work talking about climate change, and helping people see themselves in a vibrant, healthy, climate-safe future. She lives in Treaty 13 Territory with her husband and two boys, and enjoys mentoring young people in nature connection at The Pine Project outdoor school.  Relevant links: talkclimatetome.ca  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  TikTok: @cdnwomenfdn  X: @cdnwomenfdn

With Jake Stika of Next Gen Men, Fay Slift and Fluffy Soufflé of The Fabulous Show with Fay and Fluffy, Shree Paradkar of the Toronto Star, and Angela Sterritt, national bestselling author of Unbroken. Today’s episode features four of seven incredible speakers at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence, presented by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and held on November 16, 2023. Speakers addressed pressing issues and solutions to end gender-based violence. Listen to learn how we can become allies to survivors of abuse and work as agents of safety and care from the ground up.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: The Facts about Gender-Based Violence  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation

With Paulette Senior and Anuradha Dugal of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and Pamela Cross at Luke’s Place. Today’s episode features three of seven incredible speakers at The Walrus Talks Gender-Based Violence, presented by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and held on November 16, 2023. Speakers addressed pressing issues and solutions to end gender-based violence.  Listen to learn how we can become allies to survivors of abuse and work as agents of safety and care from the ground up.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: The Facts about Gender-Based Violence  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation

With Amanda Arella at YWCA Canada. Those who are young face elevated risks of gendered digital harm. Statistics Canada found that, among those aged 18 to 29 years, young women were more often the target of online abuse, with a prevalence almost double the rate of young men. The gender difference was especially pronounced for receiving unwanted sexually suggestive or explicit material, where young women were almost three times as likely to be targeted as young men.  YWCA Canada found that 44% of women and gender-diverse people aged 16 to 30 report having been personally targeted by hate speech online. Those most targeted include people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, Indigenous people, and Black people.  We’re at the end of our series delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators. We’ve been talking about the problem and what we can do to change it. We’ve offered practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we’ve talked about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Amanda Arella is the Director of Public Policy, Advocacy, and Strategic Communications at YWCA Canada. Amanda is a lawyer, strategic thinker, and passionate advocate for gender equity. She leads advocacy for feminist regulatory responses to gendered online hate, grounded in the recommendations of youth survivors of online hate and technology-facilitated violence. Prior to joining YWCA Canada, Amanda honed her advocacy skills as a litigator at a national law firm, with a focus on administrative, privacy, and health law.    A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: #BlockHate: Centering Survivors and Taking Action on Gendered Online Hate in Canada, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Leigh Naturkach at the Mosaic Institute. We’re still not doing enough to end gendered digital hate, harassment, and abuse on a large scale. Perhaps that can give us the impression that the public doesn’t care or we’re all too complacent to do anything about it.  The numbers tell us otherwise. In 2023, the Canadian Women’s Foundation found that 88% of people in Canada believe we need to make changes so online spaces are safer for everyone. Fifty-eight per cent of women in particular strongly agree with this idea. Likewise, 88% of people in Canada believe social media companies have a responsibility to keep users safe from hate and abuse on their platforms.  Despite outsized voices to the contrary, the vast majority of people in Canada want safer digital spaces and we want accountability for users.  We’re almost at the end of our series delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators. We’ve been talking about the problem and what we can do to change it. We’ve offered practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we’ve talked about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Leigh Naturkach is Executive Director at the Mosaic Institute. Prior to this, Leigh worked at Women’s College Hospital Foundation, AIDS Committee of Toronto, right here at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and in media at Corus Entertainment. Her volunteer experience spans two decades in both leadership and frontline roles, focused on gender equity, reproductive justice, support for young people, and in end-of-life rights and care. A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: Pre-registration for Mosaic Institute’s Addressing Online Hate certificate course, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Rhiannon Wong at Women’s Shelters Canada. The Tech Safety Canada website says technology-facilitated gender-based violence “happens when someone uses technology to harm or control you.” It can take the form of “harassing text or social media messages, restricting access to technology, non-consensually sharing intimate images, using location-tracking technology, or threatening to do any of these.” The scope of this abuse is big because the scope of gender-based violence in Canada is big. Statistics Canada says that sixty-seven per cent of those who report online intimidation to police are women and girls, and one in five women report experiencing online harassment.  Over coming episodes, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Rhiannon Wong is project manager for Women’s Shelters Canada’s Technology Safety Canada project. She has researched and developed practical technology safety resources and training for anti-violence workers and women, girls, and gender-diverse people that address how technology can be used to create safety and misused by perpetrators to commit crimes of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, impersonation, and harassment.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: Tech Safety Canada, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Barbara Perry, Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University, and Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University. A recent House of Commons report speaks to the rise of ideologically motivated violent extremism in Canada, based on xenophobic, gender-driven, anti-authority, and other personal grievance-driven ideas and ideologies. The report says that, in the age of social media, it can “elude the terminology and analytical frameworks long used by our law enforcement and national security agencies”, and these “longstanding national security threats have been joined by a new breed of violent extremists, lone actors, and leaderless movements whose alliances and espoused causes are constantly mutating.”  In Canada, we’ve seen a 72% increase in hate crimes since 2019. It’s due to increased hate in digital spaces against women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and targeted ethnic and religious groups.   Over coming episodes, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Here to draw lines between rising extremism and gendered digital abuse is Barbara Perry, Professor in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Ontario Tech University, and Director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism. Barbara holds a UNESCO Chair in Hate Studies. She has written extensively on social justice, hate crime, and right-wing extremism. Her books include Diversity, Crime and Justice in Canada, In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crime, and Right-wing Extremism in Canada. Her work has been published in journals representing diverse disciplines: Theoretical Criminology, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Journal of History and Politics, and American Indian Quarterly. Dr. Perry continues to work in the area of hate crime, and has made substantial contributions to the limited scholarship on hate crime in Canada, including work on anti-Muslim violence, antisemitic hate crime, hate crime against 2SLGBTQI communities, the community impacts of hate crime, and right-wing extremism in Canada. She is regularly called upon by policy makers, practitioners, and local, national and international media as an expert on hate crime and right-wing extremism. Relevant links: The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a...

With Yamikani Msosa, Executive Director at the Ottawa Coalition To End Violence Against Women. Misogynoir, a term coined by Dr. Moya Bailey, describes the distinctive form of anti-Black sexism faced by Black women. We’ve explored it in previous episodes. How does it show up in digital spaces?  The data available paints a distressing picture. UK and US data shows that racialized women are 34% more likely to be mentioned in abusive or problematic tweets than white women, and Black women are especially targeted. They are 84% more likely than white women to be mentioned in these tweets.  In Canada, 44% of women and gender-diverse people aged 16 to 30 have been personally targeted by hate speech online. Those most likely to be targeted include Black women and gender-diverse people.  Over coming episodes, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Yamikani Msosa (they/them) helps us understand these experiences so often under-recognized in research. Yamikani is a Black neurodivergent nonbinary award-winning activist and cultural worker on the stolen, traditional, and ancestral homelands of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation people. They are Executive Director at the Ottawa Coalition To End Violence Against Women. They co-chair the Advisory for Advancing Gender Equity for Black Women, Girls, and Gender Diverse Peoples in Canada Initiative and also founded SEEDS Yoga for Survivors.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant links: Trisha Hersey (@thenapministry), The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Alicia Mccarvell, creator and social media influencer (@aliciamccarvell). There’s a lot of research on how social media can impact users and expose them to harmful content. But those with a prominent online presence experience more digital harassment themselves - politicians, academics, journalists, and professional content creators and highly-followed influencers. Creators and influencers can be subject to repeated insults and derogatory and humiliating comments on a daily basis. Women influencers report more severe consequences, such as going into a state of shock and facing economic losses because of it.  Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  We’re joined by creator Alicia Mccarvell. Alicia uses humour to tackle conversations around body image, worth, and self-love. Sharing everything from workout routines and dance videos to updates on her relationship with her husband, Alicia hopes to relate, inspire laughter, and break down barriers.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence and suicide.  Relevant Links: Alicia Mccarvell on Instagram and TikTok, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Hannah Sung (@hannsung, @hannah_tok), veteran of Canadian media and co-founder of Media Girlfriends. Communication in the western world has changed a lot: in 1800s, it was printing presses and telegraphs, then telephone, radio, movies, and television. Next came satellites, email and the internet, mobile phones, and smartphones, all the way to today’s social media, digital content, and remote learning and work.   Gender inequalities have a way of persisting through these tidal shifts. Right from the start of the internet’s mass popularity, digital spaces presented gendered safety problems. From the 1990s to 2018, 76% of the complainants in cases of technology-facilitated violence reported to Canadian courts of appeal or the Supreme Court were female and 91% of the accused were male.  Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  We’re joined by Hannah Sung, co-founder of the award-winning Media Girlfriends, a production company led by journalists of colour who prioritize inclusion, diversity, and perspectives in media. Media Girlfriends partnered with the Canadian Women’s Foundation to release the Signal for Help podcast. Hannah is a 20+ year veteran of Canadian media and founder of At The End Of the Day newsletter and podcast, an Apple Podcasts Best of 2022. In the past, she worked at the Globe and Mail and CBC. In 2020, she was the Asper Fellow at the University of Western Ontario. Hannah began her career at MuchMusic, where she hosted MuchNews and The NewMusic.  Relevant Links: Hannah Sung on Instagram and TikTok, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence, Feminist Creator Prize Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a...

With Dr. Nasreen Rajani. Gendered digital abuse can take lots of forms: threatening or damaging communication, cyberstalking, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, online dating abuse, hacking, doxing (publishing private information about someone online), flaming (posting insults or personal attacks), impersonation, gendered and sexualized disinformation, and more.  Studies show that those who experience more unwanted behaviour online include young women, Black, Indigenous, and racialized women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Still, research is thin when it comes to exploring the nuances of gendered digital abuse in their lives. For instance, very little focusses on the experiences and perspectives of racialized women in Canada.  Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Dr. Nasreen Rajani has been involved in ending gender-based violence for about seven years through her research and non-profit advocacy work. Her dissertation examined how racialized and Indigenous activists across Canada use digital tools in their work to end gender-based violence. She has been a volunteer and board member with the Women’s Initiatives for Safer Environments (WISE Ottawa) from 2016 to 2021 and is currently an advisor with the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) on their technology-facilitated gender-based violence project. Nasreen is also a member of the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women’s (OCTEVAW) Black and Racialized Persons Caucus, a strategic advisory board that supports the meaningful implementation of equity, anti-racist, decolonial, and intersectional lenses on OCTEVAW’s work.  Relevant Links: “I Bet You Don’t Get What We Get”: An Intersectional Analysis of Technology-Facilitated Violence Experienced by Racialized Women Anti-Violence Online Activists in Canada (Canadian Journal of Law and Technology, 2022), Unacceptable: Responding to Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a...

With Fallon Farinacci, social media influencer (@fallonfarinacci). There are good resources designed to help you better respond to and take care of yourself in situations of digital hate and harassment. Right to Be says there’s “no right or perfect response to harassment.” Their online harassment survival guide says it’s ok to feel vulnerable and turn to your support network when you need it. They talk about how important it is to feel connected in your offline life.  Research shows how people who harass and hate don’t always do it from a place of power. They often do it from a place of feeling powerless. It’s no excuse for hurting others.   But what keeps us grounded? Caring community. If we all had more access to caring community – connections that uphold human rights and dignity and positively challenge us to do the same – experiences of hate, harassment, and abuse would not be so commonplace.     Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Fallon Farinacci is Red River Métis and a child survivor, advocate, and speaker for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Fallon testified in the National Inquiry for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, sharing her story of loss and trauma. Later, Fallon joined The National Family Advisory Circle, where she worked closely with other affected family members and the Commissioners for the National Inquiry. Fallon continues to share her family’s story and brings awareness to ongoing genocide Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit people face in hopes of bringing change across Turtle Island.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence and suicide.  Relevant Links: Fallon Farinacci on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a href="https://ca.linkedin.com/organization-guest/company/the-canadian-women%27s-foundation?challengeId=AQFx5LuRTB7VagAAAXYuZQPL2267ksLSAxMh__RqsN2be8i2uhjH7ghWQHBa7g70zJO9Wh-tAzglk0HnAXyx0UhMEXlvjF8LcA&submissionId=55ea61be-6c8d-4d16-e9b5-507053530f53"...

With Stephanie Jonsson at Ontario Digital Literacy and Access Network (ODLAN). Organizations working on gender justice, feminist, and 2SLGBTQIA+ issues are subject to online attacks intended to delegitimize and devalue their efforts. Employees who deal with these attacks have little protection. Their mental health is impacted, and their time and resources are wasted. They’re likely to have to leave digital spaces rather than stay and contend with the onslaught. Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  We’re joined by Stephanie Jonsson, co-founder of ODLAN. She’s a Ph.D. Candidate in Gender, Feminist, and Women&#39;s Studies at York University. ODLAN raises awareness and trains organizations on the significance of digital inclusion. It acknowledges that colonization and white supremacy created the social conditions that sustain inequality and marginalize queerness - even in digital spaces. The digital divide is part of this ongoing colonization, and digital access and safety for all cannot be achieved until Indigenous communities have full access to digital spaces. ODLAN stands firm in its conviction that digital safety and accessibility remain fundamental to the broader project of decolonization. ODLAN’s mission is to remove digital literacy and access barriers and it provides organizations with tools, knowledge, and training to develop digital inclusion strategies. Stephanie is dedicated to building projects that build the strength and resilience of Rainbow communities.  Relevant Links: ODLAN’s website, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Libby Ward, social media influencer (@diaryofanhonestmom). Digital hate, harassment, and violence hurts so many women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people in Canada. Content creators who address gender justice issues like Libby have a lot to teach us about it. Kelly Odenweller’s research identifies gendered stereotypes and assumptions about mothers and motherhood. They can easily make mothers feel as if they’re not living up to an ideal. If other people treat them poorly because of these stereotypes, they can feel isolated, anxious, and depressed.  It’s caring community and allyship that can make a world of difference. No wonder motherhood content and content about raising kids is so popular in digital spaces. Mothers may seek it out to find belonging, connection, and representation.  The trouble is that digital spaces also carry risks for diverse mothers and caregivers. They might find themselves targeted online based on their motherhood, as much as they’re targeted for other elements of who they are.  Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Libby Ward is a digital creator, speaker, and mental health advocate. She’s known on Instagram and TikTok @diaryofanhonestmom and she’s committed to changing the motherhood narrative. She’s been recognized as a mental health advocate by TikTok, and has been featured on BBC, Good Morning America, Global News, and more. Her bestselling journal, entitled The Honest Mom Journal: The Struggling Mom’s Guide to Struggling Less, has helped thousands of mothers.  Relevant Links: Libby Ward on Instagram and TikTok, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/canadianwomensfoundation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer...

With Chris Bail, Founding Director of the Polarization Lab. The fact that social media platforms draw out and reward anti-social, polarizing behaviour goes hand-in-hand with the gendered hate and abuse so common to digital interactions. We can’t fix one without fixing the other.    Nor can we ignore what social media does for us psychologically and socially. We use these platforms to build our personal identities. We use them to find community and a sense of belonging. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It&#39;s often a good thing. But it gets dangerous when platforms reward attacking and hurtful behaviour, when they encourage the targeting of vulnerable people, and when they make it easy to exert power over those with less power.  In that sense, it’s easy to see why women, girls, and gender-diverse people, especially those who face multiple barriers, are so unsafe in digital spaces. Digital spaces reinforce and amplify the unbalanced power and abuse we know too well in our day-to-day lives.   There’s a glimmer of hope: digital spaces are ultimately human built. The fact that they’re like this is not inevitable and it’s not unchangeable. Over coming months, we’re delving into this with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  We’re joined by Chris Bail, Professor of Sociology and Public Policy at Duke University, where he directs the Polarization Lab. He studies political tribalism, extremism, and social psychology using data from social media and tools from the emerging field of computational social science. He is the author of Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make our Platforms Less Polarizing. A Guggenheim Fellow and Carnegie Fellow, Chris&#39;s research appears in leading publications such as Science, the American Journal of Public Health, and New York Times. He appeared on NBC Nightly News, CBS News, BBC, and CNN. His research has been covered by Wired, The Atlantic, Scientific American, and more. He regularly lectures to government, business, and the non-profit sector and consults with social media platforms struggling to combat polarization. He serves on the Advisory Committee to the National Science Foundation&#39;s Social Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate and helped create Duke&#39;s Interdisciplinary Data Science Program. Chris received his PhD from Harvard University in 2011.  Relevant Links: Polarization Lab, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/cdnwomenfdn" target="_blank"...

With Brynta Ponn, social media influencer (@bryntaponn, @brynstagram). Digital hate, harassment, and violence hurts so many women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people in Canada. Content creators who address gender justice issues like Brynta have a lot to teach us about it.  Body shaming is defined as “unsolicited, mostly negative opinions or comments about a target’s body” that “can range from well-meant advice to malevolent insults”. That women and gender-diverse people deal with endless commentary about our bodies is nothing new. In our digital age, it’s highly public and downright weaponized, wrapped up with sexist, racist, ableist, homophobic, and transphobic language. Those of us with bodies different than the stereotyped ideal, like plus-sized women, get especially targeted on social media.  Digital body shaming and blaming has serious implications for our mental health and self-esteem. And adds to the silencing effect women and gender-diverse people face online. The irony of this is that most of our bodies don’t match the limited ideal. Over coming months, we’re delving into gendered digital hate and harassment with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Brynta Ponn is a body confidence advocate and content creator. She’s based in Toronto and was raised in a South Asian community. She understands what it’s like to grow up with body image issues. She encourages people to live unapologetically, no matter what their journey with their body is. Her goal is to be a voice counteracting the negativity surrounding outdated beauty standards for women – for young girls, especially. She empowers women of all ages from all walks of life to be kinder to themselves and live their lives confidently and without shame.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant Links: Brynta Ponn on Instagram and TikTok, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: <a...

With Imran Ahmed from the Center for Countering Digital Hate. Whether you’re on social media, streaming platforms, dating, messaging and meeting apps, or on game sites, if you’re a woman, girl, or Two Spirit, trans, or non-binary person, you’re at greater risk of hate, harassment, and violence.   It’s easy to forget the basic facts of digital media. Take social media. Social media spaces are run by corporations, many of which are based in the United States. The global footprint of these companies is huge. They hold big social power and cultural sway. There are over 36 million internet users and 33.1 million social media users in Canada. But users in Canada represent only a small slice of the world’s social media users.  For all the time we spend on social media and the internet, it’s rather under-regulated. What a user wants – safety, connection, belonging, community – is often odds with how the spaces have been set up. In Canada, like the rest of the world, we’ve got a lot of challenges with regulation. It means that gendered digital hate, harassment, and abuse keeps happening every day.  Over coming months, we’re delving into this with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  We’re joined by Imran Ahmed, founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate. He’s an authority on social and psychological malignancies on social media, such as identity-based hate, extremism, disinformation, and conspiracy theories. He regularly appears in the media and in documentaries as an expert on how bad actors use digital spaces to harm others and benefit themselves, as well as how and why bad platforms allow them to do so.  A note about content: this episode addresses gender-based violence. Relevant Links: Center for Countering Digital Hate; The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation  This series of podcast episodes has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

With Florence-Olivia (Floli) and Marie-Emmanuelle (Emma), together known as The Sis. Whether you’re on social media, streaming platforms, dating, messaging and meeting apps, or on game sites, if you’re a woman, girl, or Two Spirit, trans, or non-binary person, you’re at greater risk of hate, harassment, and violence.  1 in 5 women experience online harassment in Canada. Younger people are amongst those who face higher risks. 44% of women and gender-diverse people between 16 and 30 are personally targeted by online hate speech. Those most at risk include people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, Indigenous people, and Black people.  Gendered digital hate, harassment, and abuse happens every day. It’s pervasive, urgent, and growing. You deserve to be safe and free from harm.  Over coming months, we’re delving into this with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us. We’re joined by Florence-Olivia (BA, MA, Law PhD) and Marie-Emmanuelle (BA, MA, Law PhD), the sisters behind The Sis (@the.sisofficial). They are internationally renowned researchers and speakers in the field of prevention and intervention of violence. As public figures and experts in human rights and the elimination of all forms of discrimination, their mission is to make the world a fairer place. They have acted as consultants for businesses, NGOs, public sector organizations, and provincial and national governments. Recognizing that their own studies taught them the importance of democratizing research, they created their platform, The Sis. In its first year of existence, their community grew to over 400,000 people from around the world, exchanging viewpoints on current gender justice issues. The sisters were recognized as two of the 15 most influential people in Quebec in 2022. Their work on social media helped promote the Canadian Women’s Foundation’s Signal for Help to help end gender-based violence. Relevant Links: The Sis Official on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X; The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a...

With Sarah Sobieraj, author of Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy. The Commissioner for Human Rights in the Council of Europe says, “just speaking out … about issues online, often when related to feminism, gender equality, sexual abuse or specific aspects of women’s rights, such as sexual and reproductive health and rights, may be a trigger for violence and abuse.”   The goal of this violence, says the Organization of American States, is to “create a hostile online environment for women in order to shame, intimidate, denigrate, belittle, or silence them by means of surveillance, theft or manipulation of information, or control of their communication channels.”  No wonder that almost one-third of people in Canada are hesitant about using social media or taking part in online discussions due to harassment concerns. We all lose out when women and gender-diverse people are silenced.  Over coming months, we’re delving into this with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We talk about the problem and what we can do to change it. We offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Our guest Sarah Sobieraj is Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Sociology at Tufts University and is a Faculty Associate with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University. She’s an expert in US political culture, extreme incivility, digital abuse and harassment, and the mediated information environment. Amongst other books, she is the author of Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2020), The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility (Oxford University Press, 2014) with J. Berry, and Soundbitten: The Perils of Media-Centered Political Activism (NYU Press, 2011). Her scholarship can also be found in journals and venues such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, Politico, Vox, CNN, PBS, NPR, National Review, and The Atlantic, among others.  Content note: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant Links: Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: <a

With Kairyn Potts, social media influencer and creator (@ohkairyn) and writer, actor, model, and TV host. Digital hate, harassment, and violence hurts so many women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people in Canada. Content creators who address gender justice issues like Kairyn have a lot to teach us about it. 1 in 5 women experience online harassment in Canada. Indigenous, Black, and racialized women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people are amongst those who face higher risks. Thirty per cent of Indigenous women experience unwanted behaviour online. While 8% of cisgender and heterosexual students are targeted for online bullying, harassment, and hate, 27% of LGBQ female students, 39% of transgender students, and 19% of LGBQ male students are targeted for the same.   Canada’s rising rate hate crimes is in large part due to increased hate in digital spaces against women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and targeted ethnic and religious groups.  Over coming months, we’re delving into this with leading experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every single week. We’re talking about the problem and what we can do to change it. We’re offering practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we’re talking about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us. Our guest Kairyn (Kai) Potts (he/him) is proudly Nakota Sioux from Treaty 6 Territory, from Paul First Nation, and the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation. He is a proud Two Spirit person and sits as the National Youth Board Representative for the 2 Spirits in Motion Society. As a former Indigenous Youth Suicide Prevention Team representative, he is a passionate advocate who works to improve the lives of Indigenous youth, particularly queer youth and youth in the child and family services system.  Kai now makes his home in beautiful Tkaronto where he works as a writer, actor, model, TV host, and continues his advocacy through content creation, frontline workshops, community events. He hosts Snapchat Canada’s first original series Reclaimed and has appeared in the APTN series 7th GEN.  Kai co-founded the Indigenous gaming organization Neechi Clan in 2022. Kai is an avid gamer and streamer on Twitch and Tiktok who aims to create representation and opportunities for Indigenous youth in the gaming/content creation world. He uses his online platforms to share his culture, makeup, and fashion, his passions like gaming and acting, and some laughs with others. Interesting fact: Kai speaks English, Cree, Stoney (Iithga), Chinese (intermediate Mandarin), and Spanish.  Content note: this episode addresses gender-based violence and suicide.  Relevant Links: Kairyn Potts (@ohkairyn) on Instagram and TikTok, The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence  Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: <a...

With Nina Jankowicz, author of How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back. Whether you’re on social media, streaming platforms, game sites, or dating, messaging, and meeting apps, if you’re a woman, girl, or Two Spirit, trans, or non-binary person, you’re at greater risk of hate, harassment, and violence.   1 in 5 women experience online harassment in Canada. Young women, racialized women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people are amongst those who face higher risks. Canada’s rising rate hate crimes is in large part due to increased hate in digital spaces against women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, and targeted ethnic and religious groups.  Gendered digital hate, harassment, and abuse happens every day. It’s pervasive, urgent, and growing. You deserve to be safe and free from harm.  Over coming months, we’re delving into this with experts and content creators, releasing in-depth episodes every week. We’ll offer practical tips to help you in your digital life, and we’ll talk about what it means to “take back the tech” for all of us.  Nina Jankowicz joins us today, an internationally-recognized expert on disinformation and democratization and the author of two books: How to Lose the Information War (Bloomsburg Academic, 2020) and How to Be A Woman Online (Bloomsburg Academic, 2022), an examination of online abuse and disinformation and tips for fighting back. She is Vice President at the Centre for Information Resilience, a non-profit focused on countering disinformation. She has advised governments, international organizations, and tech companies, and testified before the US Congress, UK Parliament, and European Parliament.   In 2022, Jankowicz was appointed to lead the US Disinformation Governance Board, an intra-agency best practices and coordination entity at the Department of Homeland Security; she resigned the position after a sustained disinformation campaign. From 2017 to, 2022, she has held fellowships at the Wilson Center, where she led research about the effects of disinformation on women and freedom of expression. She advised the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on strategic communications under the auspices of a Fulbright-Clinton Public Policy Fellowship in 2016 and 2017. Early in her career, she managed democracy assistance programs to Russia and Belarus at the National Democratic Institute.  Content note: this episode addresses gender-based violence.  Relevant Links: How to Be a Woman Online: Surviving Abuse and Harassment, and How to Fight Back (Bloomsburg Academic, 2022), The Facts about Gendered Digital Hate, Harassment, and Violence Brief Listener Survey: did this episode help you? Fill out and be entered to win a great prize pack!  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: <a...

With Dr. Stacey Bélanger, pediatrician at CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montréal and Mental Health Task Force member at the Canadian Pediatric Society. Young people in Canada aged 12 to 17 say their mental health has declined since 2015, and the decline is more pronounced amongst young women. On top of that, children and youth who are recent immigrants or refugees, racialized, or in rural and remote communities are less likely to get appropriate mental health care.  Think social media pressures, hyper-sexualization, stereotyping, toxic masculinity, bullying, fear of rising abuse and harassment, climate anxiety, and generally feeling left behind. The list of what girls and gender-diverse young people face today is intense. Their mental health and well-being, as well as their sense of connection, belonging, and confidence have been shaken. Their healthy relationship skill development opportunities have taken a hit, too.  How can caring adults in the lives of girls and young people smooth the transition back to school? How can we support improved youth mental health, confidence, and healthy relationships?  Dr. Stacey Bélanger, pediatrician with specialized training in pediatric neurology and a doctorate degree in neurological sciences, joins us. At CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital in Montréal, her focus is on patients with neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions. Dr. Bélanger is also Associate Professor of Medicine at Université de Montréal where she teaches about mental health and mental illness. She authored a book on mental health and has written in peer-reviewed journals on mental health disorders in children and youth. Amongst other roles, she sits on the Mental Health Task Force and Digital Health Task Force at the Canadian Pediatric Society.  Relevant links: find mental health and other services and resources at canadianwomen.org⁠.  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation 

With Taylor Meissner at Intersections Therapy Collective. Young people in Canada aged 12 to 17 say their mental health has declined since 2015, and the decline is more pronounced amongst young women. On top of that, children and youth who are recent immigrants or refugees, racialized, or in rural and remote communities are less likely to get appropriate mental health care.  Think social media pressures, hyper-sexualization, stereotyping, toxic masculinity, bullying, fear of rising abuse and harassment, climate anxiety, and generally feeling left behind. The list of what girls and gender-diverse young people face today is intense. Their mental health and well-being, as well as their sense of connection, belonging, and confidence have been shaken. Their healthy relationship skill development opportunities have taken a hit, too.  How can caring adults in the lives of girls and young people smooth the transition back to school? How can we support improved youth mental health, confidence, and healthy relationships?  Taylor Meissner joins us to talk about it. She is a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She has lived both in Tkaronto and unceded Algonquin territory or Ottawa, where she currently resides. She is a Disabilities Coordinator/Learning Strategist at Carleton University. Taylor also provides counselling in private practice at Intersections Collective, mainly working with 2SLGBTQ+ adults and youth. Outside of paid work, you can find her doing grassroots/community organizing, reading a book from the library, spoiling her Rottweiler Sappho, or delighting in swimming outdoors like the mer-creature she is.  Note: If youth are struggling academically or socially, families can reach out to their school&#39;s guidance counsellor or accessibility office, local community counselling services (which often offer services on a sliding scale or free of charge), and after-school community recreation programs.  Relevant links: find mental health and other services and resources at canadianwomen.org⁠.  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation

With Molly Hayes, national reporter with The Globe and Mail. Women and equity-seeking journalists investigate under-told stories. We need them to give voice to gender justice matters that otherwise go unheard. Think about the most stunning contemporary stories you’ve seen on gender and equality issues. Chances are that women and equity-seeking journalists were behind them.   Every year, the Canadian Women’s Foundation presents The Landsberg Award in partnership with The Canadian Journalism Foundation to acknowledge and inspire feminist journalism. It&#39;s named after iconic journalist and author, Michele Landsberg. Journalist and activist Gloria Steinem said, “Those who make a revolution and those who write about it are usually two different people. Michele Landsberg is one of the few on earth who is trusted and effective at both.” Past winners of The Landsberg Award include such journalists as Connie Walker, Robyn Doolittle, Christina Frangou, and more. Today we’re joined by Molly Hayes, who won the 2023 Landsberg Award alongside Tavia Grant and Elizabeth Renzetti for their series on intimate partner violence and femicide in Canada. She is a national reporter with The Globe and Mail. She joined the Globe in 2017 as the inaugural recipient of the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s investigative journalism fellowship, and today reports on crime and social justice issues, including violence against women.  Relevant links: Gender Gap in Digital News Access  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Facebook: Canadian Women’s Foundation  Twitter: @cdnwomenfdn  LinkedIn: The Canadian Women’s Foundation  Instagram: @canadianwomensfoundation 

With Simone Saunders, founder of The Cognitive Corner. Family violence refers to many kinds of abuse and neglect in families. Umbrella terms like this can be challenging. They cover a range of experiences, but they can obscure gender and power dynamics in their broadness. Women, girls, and Two Spirit, trans, and non-binary people face family violence at disproportionate rates that are only on the rise in Canada today.   Umbrella terms can also make it hard to envision how different people experience things differently depending on who they are. For example, survivors with disabilities have shared how abuse perpetrated by family caregivers tends to get ignored because, in popular imagination, we don’t always see how those who take care of us can also hurt us. 2SLBTQIA+ survivors have shared how a family member’s threats of outing them to other family members can be used as a form of control.   These nuances of abuse are sometimes treated as mere add-ons. What if the devil is in the details? What if exploring nuances can unlock solutions that make millions of people safer?  Simone Saunders joins us to address family violence in racialized families. Simone is a graduate level Registered Social Worker and therapist in Calgary, Alberta. She is the founder of The Cognitive Corner—a group psychological practice that focuses on providing trauma-informed and culturally responsive psychological care and psychoeducation to Albertans and Ontarians. In the future, The Cognitive Corner seeks to provide accessible and affordable mental health services to racialized communities, due to the current lack of resources. Simone specializes in the treatment of early childhood trauma, racial trauma, and attachment-based issues, using a mixture of somatic-based modalities and critical theory to address societal/structural inequities. In addition, she is a mental health creator and advocate on Instagram and TikTok, where she aims to normalize mental health struggles and provide accessible psychoeducation.  A note about content: this episode includes discussion of family and gender-based violence.  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Facebook: ⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠  Twitter: ⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠  LinkedIn: ⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠  Instagram: ⁠@canadianwomensfoundation

With Hazel T. Biana at DLSU College of Liberal Arts, Paola Ricaurte at Harvard University, Paulette Senior at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and Benjamin Prud&#39;homme at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving at breakneck speed. What are its possible benefits for women and equity-seeking people? Can we implement AI in a way that doesn’t contribute to gender inequalities, harms, and injustices? How do we ensure no one is left out of decisions and implementation of this technology?  Canadian Women’s Foundation President and CEO Paulette Senior joined in a fascinating panel on AI and Reducing Gender Based Inequalities at the June Conference of Montreal organized by the International Economic Forum of the Americas. You’ll hear clips of her and international experts speaking to benefits and pitfalls we have to act on if we want to achieve gender justice and avoid harms women and gender-diverse people are at risk of around the world in this massive technological tidal shift.   We start with Hazel T. Biana, Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy at DLSU College of Liberal Arts. Then we move to Paola Ricaurte, Co-founder of Tierra Común, Associate Professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey and Faculty Associate at Berkman Klein Center for Internet &amp; Society at Harvard University. Next is Paulette herself, followed by Benjamin Prud&#39;homme, Executive Director of AI for Humanity at Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute.  The panel itself was moderated by Naser Faruqui, Director of Education and Science at International Development Research Centre.  Relevant links: AI and Reducing Gender Based Inequalities panel on YouTube  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.    Episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation

With Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden, Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa. Like many things related to sexual and reproductive health, there’s elevated stigma about gynecological cancers. Like many health issues for women, girls, and gender-diverse people, there are serious gaps in knowledge and treatment, too. The gaps are bigger for those who face discrimination based on factors like race, ability, and income.    It’s ironic that modern biological research is based on cells taken from a woman named Henreitta Lacks in 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Lacks was a Black woman diagnosed with cervical cancer. Her cells were taken without her consent and cultivated into the HeLa cell line, the most commonly used cell line in scientific research today.   Those most marginalized, dealing with the poorest treatment and outcomes and most stigmatized and understudied health issues are the ones we’ve built our medical practices on.  Since May 28, International Day of Action for Women&#39;s Health, we’ve focused on gender and health matters we may know bits and pieces of but probably need to learn more about. As we wrap up this mini-series, we can’t help but take a long view of equality, justice, and rights in medicine. We’re thankful to the amazing medical scientists trying to turn the tide today.  Our guest Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden is one of those people. She’s the inaugural Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa and a Senior Scientist in the Cancer Therapeutics Program at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. She loves talking about her research, which focuses on how risk factors affect the incidence of ovarian cancer, and how good models of ovarian cancer can shed light on cancer susceptibility, tumour progression and response to treatment. Dr. Vanderhyden teaches about science, academic integrity, and science communication.  Relevant links: Ovarian Cancer Canada  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.    Episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠⁠ 

With Dr. Shafeena Premji, physician and Director of Mahogany Medical Clinic and The Village Medical, and Janet Ko, President of The Menopause Foundation of Canada. It’s interesting how Western medicine has framed women’s sexual and reproductive health. It has a history of presuming normalness means youth and reproduction, so ageing and not reproducing means “abnormal”. Take the term “menopause”, sometimes described as estrogen deficiency, a diminishment of ovarian activity, and a failure of endometrial development.  No wonder we aren’t eager to talk about menopause. Of course, this ties to our cultural fear and loathing of getting older and the lack of medical research that accompanies it. It&#39;s particularly intense for women and gender-diverse people, who face ignorance and invisibility as they get older.  Dr. Shafeena Premji and Janet Ko join us to dig into menopause – before, during, and after – and the gaps those who go through it contend with.  Janet Ko is President and Co-Founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada. Her personal journey to get support convinced her that menopause was an urgent gender equity issue. Janet has held numerous senior leadership positions and is an award-winning communicator. She’s dedicated to helping women thrive through their menopausal years as a passionate speaker and advocate.   Dr. Shafeena Premji is a family physician and founder and director of Mahogany Medical Clinic and The Village Medical, where she offers prenatal care, women&#39;s health consultations, and a menopause clinic. Dr. Premji serves on Board of the Canadian Menopause Society and the Medical Advisory Board of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. She’s dedicated to supporting women through their menopausal transition and supporting her colleagues in identifying helpful menopausal treatments. Relevant links: The Menopause Foundation of Canada  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.     Episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠    Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠⁠

With Natalie Philbert, Manager of Women’s Programs and Services at Hemophilia Ontario, and Dr. Meghan Pike, pediatrician and clinical fellow in Pediatric-Hematology Oncology at Dalhousie University/IWK Health Centre.   We don’t always have the language to speak about our periods – let alone menstrual bleeding disorders. What are the signs and symptoms? What are the gaps in care and diagnosis? And how does it connect with gendered inequities?   May 28 was International Day of Action for Women&#39;s Health, so for the next few episodes, we’re focusing on gender and health matters we may know bits and pieces of but probably need to learn more about. Today, we focus on menstrual bleeding disorders.  Natalie Philbert is a PhD candidate focusing on delay in diagnosis for menstruators with bleeding disorders. Natalie brings a professional and personal passion to the bleeding disorder community given her own diagnosis of Von Willebrand disease Type 1. She co-created a website called heroixx.ca, specifically designed for menstruators with bleeding disorders.    Dr. Meghan Pike launched the WeThrive App that can identify adolescents with heavy menstrual bleeding.  She is an advocate for free access to menstrual products. Her research interests include patient-reported outcome measures, impacts of cancer treatment on reproductive and menstrual health, and advocacy for menstruators.  Relevant links: heroixx.ca, WeThrive App (Apple App Store | Google Play)  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠⁠

With Dr. Tara Sedlak, the only certified Women’s Heart Health Cardiologist in Canada. The link between discrimination and your health and wellness is undeniable. It&#39;s all about the social determinants of health. The World Health Organization describes them as “non-medical factors that influence health outcomes”, the “conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.”  Discrimination based on gender and other connected factors like our race and ability impacts our health in so many ways. For example, we get treated differently based on our gender in healthcare settings. Our access to relevant health services and options differs wildly depending on our gender. Even the medical research that gets funded and acted on depends on our gender.   May 28 is International Day of Action for Women&#39;s Health, so for the next few episodes, we’ll focus on pressing gender and health matters we may know bits and pieces of but probably need to learn more about.  Dr. Tara Sedlak joins us today to talk about women and heart health. She grew up in Kelowna, British Columbia, receiving her Bachelor’s degree with Honours from the University of Alberta and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of British Columbia. She was awarded the Gold Medal for top graduate from the Doctor of Medicine Program. She completed two specialist residencies at the University of British Columbia, where she twice served as Chief Medical Resident. Dr. Sedlak also completed a fellowship at Cedar Sinai Medical Centre with Dr. Bairey Merz, the world’s leading expert in women’s heart health. Dr. Sedlak is the only certified Women’s Heart Health Cardiologist in Canada and she also practices General Cardiology.   Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠   Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠   Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠⁠   Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠⁠

With Dr. Lee Airton, Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies in Education at Queen&#39;s University. International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia is coming up on May 17.  The UN says that only one out of three countries legally protect people from discrimination based on sexual orientation. Only one out of 10 protect people based on gender identity, and only a handful based on sex characteristics.  We can’t end gender injustice without ending discrimination widely faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. A 2023 Global News story reports that, “Canadian LGBTQ2 community members and advocates say the past year has been difficult and scary amid a notable rise in hate crimes, threats and protests against drag queens and transgender people in particular.” This tracks with a rise in police-reported hate crimes based on sexuality and gender identity, which rose nearly 60 per cent between 2019 and 2021 to the highest level in five years.  Dr. Lee Airton (they/them) brings clarity in these tough times. Their research explores how Canadian K-12 education and teacher education are responding to gender identity and gender expression protections in human rights legislation. In 2012, Dr. Airton founded They Is My Pronoun, the first Q+A-based blog about gender-neutral pronoun usage and user support with over 30,000 visitors in 2017 alone. In 2016, Dr. Airton founded the No Big Deal Campaign, a national social media initiative that helps people show support for transgender peoples&#39; right to have their pronouns used. In 2021, Dr. Airton and their research team launched gegi.ca, the first bilingual self-advocacy resource for K-12 students experiencing gender expression and gender identity discrimination at school. Dr. Airton&#39;s first book, Gender: Your Guide, offers practical steps for welcoming gender diversity in everyday life, and has been adopted as a key professional development text in teacher education programs, school districts, public sector and private sector organizations. With Dr. Susan Woolley, they recently edited Teaching About Gender Diversity: Teacher-Tested Lesson Plans for K-12 Classrooms.   Relevant links: www.leeairton.com  Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.   Episode ⁠⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠⁠   Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠⁠   Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠⁠   LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠⁠   Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠⁠

With Sabrina Cruz of Answer in Progress. Disinformation is false information intended to mislead. Misinformation is false information shared without intention of misleading. In this digital world, false information and the conspiracy theories, fake news, and downright lies attached to it seem to spread like wildfire.  A poll found that people in Canada consider the online disinformation epidemic and climate change as the most serious threats of the modern age. The Government of Canada’s Online Disinformation webpage says it well: “Even if you don’t believe it, false information causes doubt and confusion. It makes it harder to find factual content you can trust. It also may cause you to delay taking an important decision that could affect your wellbeing. False information can also continue to influence your beliefs even after you find out it’s not true ... This effect is known as the continued influence effect and it is another way that disinformation can cause harm.”  There’s a lot of false information out there when it comes to gender equality and justice issues. We see it all the time, on all kinds of issues: the gender pay gap, why we have to unflinchingly confront racism and white supremacy, why ending transphobia and homophobia is a core part of our work, the scope of gender-based violence, misconceptions about trafficking, you name it.   Sometimes, misinformation leads to genuine questions. Sometimes, misinformation leads to accusations and attacks. It’s not about the evidence, it’s about making a point. And that point may be grounded in discrimination and disempowering marginalized people.  What happens when you’re faced with some kind of misinformation, no matter how or why it comes? How can you apply your curiosity as a useful tool?  Sabrina Cruz is our guest, co-founder of Answer in Progress, a media production company that encourages people to explore their curiosity and shares every stumble and success along the way. Their YouTube channel is over 1 million subscribers strong and covers a wide range of topics, from Teaching an AI to Solve the Trolley Problem to Getting Good Last Minute Gifts. They&#39;ve collaborated with Google and HISTORY. They want to reignite a love of learning in themselves and their audience.  Relevant Links: Answer in Progress Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠⁠canadianwomen.org⁠⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Episode ⁠⁠Transcripts⁠⁠  Facebook: ⁠⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠⁠  Twitter: ⁠⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠⁠  LinkedIn: ⁠⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@canadianwomensfoundation⁠ 

With Dr. Hadiya Roderique, writer of Black on Bay Street and other articles, cultural critic, lawyer, researcher, speaker, and consultant.  Equal Pay Day is symbolic of how far into the next year the average woman works to have earned what the average man earned the previous year. In Canada, women make 88 cents for every dollar men make. But there’s more than one gender pay gap because those who face gender inequalities are a diverse population. Racialized women make 67 cents to the dollar for racialized men, Indigenous women make 65 cents to the dollar for Indigenous men, newcomer women make 71 cents to the dollar for newcomer men, and women with disabilities also have lower average incomes compared to men with disabilities.  We would be wise to think of it as gender pay gaps, plural.   Canada has had pay equity laws since the 1970s. But pay gaps and unfairness in pay persist. Girls face a summer job gender pay gap of almost $3.00 per hour. Women post-secondary students leave school with lesser means to pay off student loans. And the gendered pension gap means that women retire with about 80% of the pension men retire with.  Dr. Hadiya Roderique joins us to address gender pay gaps, their impacts on Black and equity-seeking women, how bias plays out in workplaces, what we need to do about it. Hadiya is a researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and recovering Bay Street lawyer. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Journalism at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus, where her research focuses on racist discourse in how journalists write about race in Canadian media. She holds a J.D. and M.A. in Criminology from the University of Toronto, and completed her Ph.D. in Organizational Behaviour at the Rotman School of Management. She is an award-winning writer, probably best known for her piece Black on Bay Street, which set Corporate Canada ablaze, and earned her recognition as one of Canada’s Top 25 most influential lawyers by Canadian Lawyer’s magazine in 2018. She sits on the Board of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund and on the Equity Diversity and Inclusion committee of Ultimate Canada.  Relevant Links: Equal Pay Day and Gender Pay Gaps: Infographic   Please listen, subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and share it with others. If you appreciate this content, if you want to get in on the efforts to build a gender equal Canada, please donate at ⁠canadianwomen.org⁠ and consider becoming a monthly donor.  Episode ⁠Transcripts⁠  Facebook: ⁠Canadian Women’s Foundation⁠  Twitter: ⁠@cdnwomenfdn ⁠  LinkedIn: ⁠The Canadian Women’s Foundation ⁠  Instagram: ⁠@canadianwomensfoundation