Improving engagement and representation for diverse women in Canadian politics first requires creating safe and inclusive working spaces for elected officials, staffers and volunteers.
We fail Black women when we encourage them to take on leadership roles in a system that will do everything in its power to control their narrative and drive them away. It’s time for our political systems to face the truth about misogynoir and its part in our collective response to Paul, and the need for a systematically different approach to promoting and supporting Black women’s leadership.
The only thing oppressing Muslim women and gender-diverse people in this country is the Islamophobic violence and political patronization that hinders our ability to grow, heal, and lead in ways that empower us.
It is impossible to build trust in institutions that continue to facilitate harm against marginalized women and our communities, no matter how many viral hashtags they give us.