成人大片 Women in the House program carves a new path for emerging leaders
Empowering Women in Politics
What does it take to encourage the next emerging women leaders that they have what it takes to lead Canada forward?
The 成人大片 Women in the House program is Canada鈥檚 first and only academic course that provides experiential learning designed to empower women who aspire to become leaders in the political arena. It is co-taught by Professor Tracey Raney from the Department of Politics and Public Administration and Peggy Nash, Senior Advisor to the Dean of Arts. This interdisciplinary course is an innovative opportunity for women-identified students to explore their interests in politics and learn from women with different backgrounds and experiences. Having the opportunity to shadow a woman Minister or MP and her staff in Ottawa, students are provided with first-hand experience of what it means to be a woman leader in this non-partisan program.
The main objective of this course is to break the gender barrier prevalent in the Canadian political realm by offering a comprehensive understanding of the political system through topics related to the underrepresentation of marginalized people in politics, and the intersectional analysis of public policies, among others.
鈥淎s a young woman starting out in politics you often never have the chance to sit down with such strong women leaders and discuss so openly how we as women are the elephant in the room.鈥�
The course also provides a platform to discuss issues relevant to women in politics, such as how to overcome barriers like institutional sexism, racism, homophobia, and hypermasculine stereotypes of leaders. Its goal is to empower women to develop strategies and supports that will enable them to navigate these issues more effectively, fostering an empowered space for women to learn about the political system and develop valuable skills necessary to become a strong leader in their chosen career, whether that be in elected office, in the public service, in law, or in the non-profit sector.
Emerging Women Leaders Take Over Parliament Hill
To celebrate International Women鈥檚 Day, the current Women in the House cohort of 29 students recently had the honour of attending a reception hosted by Equal Voice and they were invited to attend President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen鈥檚 historic address to Canada鈥檚 Parliament. They also attended the in honour of the President鈥檚 first visit to Canada.
In separate speeches, both leaders expressed Canada鈥檚 and the European Union鈥檚 shared priorities, including maintaining a robust response to Russia鈥檚 illegal war of aggression against Ukraine; fighting climate change and accelerating clean innovation; pursuing energy security and sustainable economic growth; and promoting women鈥檚 economic empowerment. The leaders also reaffirmed that women and girls play an invaluable role in fostering an inclusive future and expressed their support of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in all their diversity.
鈥淥n a personal level, this trip could be described in many ways: life-changing, extraordinary, incredible, unimaginable, and most importantly, transformative.鈥�
Amongst the activities in Ottawa, students were able to meet Cabinet Ministers , , , , and , Senators and , and Equal Voice鈥檚 Executive Director .
The Women in the House program is an essential initiative that aims to break down the political gender barriers that still exist in Canada and outside its borders. By providing women-identified students with experiential learning opportunities and a comprehensive understanding of the political system, this program is empowering the next generation of women leaders. With continued efforts to empower women in politics, we can create a more inclusive future and ensure that women have a seat at decision-making tables across the country.