COVER STORY

LIVING IN A MAN’S WORLD

Image credit: RAAMIN KA on Unsplash.

By SHAGORIKA EASWAR, with files from PETER BOISSEAU

Activist, author and actress Nandana Sen translated Acrobat, her mother Nabaneeta Dev Sen’s collection of Bangla poems.

She read a selection during one of the events at last year’s Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA), including this poem, Crash:

Because I keep crashing into walls

I have now come to know them all

Eyeing an open door

I keep trying to run out

But it’s just another wall

Women are still crashing into walls in so many spheres of their personal and professional lives.

When Grant’s Desi Achiever Ceta Ramkhalawansingh was an undergraduate student in 1968 at the University of Toronto, physical education was compulsory for women but not for men; Hart House was off-limits to women and the distribution of birth control information was illegal.

That was more than enough for Ramkhalawansingh to get involved in campus activities, leading to several changes to campus policy, as well as the creation of the very first women’s studies course, with Ramkhalawansingh one of its first lecturers.

She played a key role in establishing one the oldest women’s studies programs in Canada – in the face of doubts expressed by male faculty members.

The ripple effect was enormous, helping in the creation of women’s studies programs around the world.

In 2020, she established a scholarship for undergraduate students enrolled in a major or specialist program in women and gender studies or in Caribbean studies at the Institute for Women & Gender Studies (WGSI) at UofT.

A recipient of the YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction Award, she says she feels a sense of pride when she looks back on the campaign to establish the interdisciplinary course and the way women’s studies have evolved since then.

“I’m thrilled we did this. And certainly, when we set out in 1970, we had no idea how transformative this would become – even in our wildest dreams.”

But ever the activist, she still sees plenty of opportunity for creating more positive change. “There is a difference between the gains made by white women and women of colour, as well as women from disadvantaged backgrounds, including women from the LGBTQ communities and Indigenous women,” she says.

Ramkhalawansingh, who also helped develop equity and diversity programs at Toronto City Hall, serves on the board of the Harold Innis Foundation at Innis College at the UofT, and also on the boards of Word on the Street and Toronto Foundation.

With decades of work as a feminist human rights advocate, city builder and community activist under her belt, she continues to be active on equity and diversity issues ten years after retiring.

“My friend says I’ve not retired, I’ve been unleashed,” she chuckles.

Grant’s Desi Achiever Ishita Aggarwal, a scientist and social justice activist, and one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence, has been advancing girls’ rights and creating opportunities for them since she was in high school.

She received the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award for her work in gender equity and empowering women, is a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leaders honouree as well as a Loreal Woman of Worth.

She launched Science4Girls to highlight the contributions of women scientists and to show that science would not have progressed as much as it did without their work. As an on-air reporter at York University, she profiled women’s human rights stories – she had clued into the truth that it’s not so much that the rights are different but that women aren’t necessarily granted their rights to the same degree. 

“And when they try to claim their rights, they are ridiculed,” she says. “Women, essentially, have to work harder to participate. Women have to fight for access to sexual and reproductive health info – things men don’t even think about. Take maternal health. Women in precarious work situations actually risk losing their jobs if they take time off. Men don’t have to deal with such choices.”

Having just completed her Master of Public Health, she is currently doing her clerkship.

Both Ramkhalawansingh and Aggarwal are outspoken about the gender gap and they way it impacts women.

“Inequities can affect one’s life in a whole bunch of areas.” – Ceta Ramkhalawansingh.

On the Employment Equity Task Force that was set up last year to review the act to see how it could better address inequities in – wait for this – federally-regulated workplaces.

 Ceta: I don’t know how much of the policy is getting implemented. But then, I’ve not really kept track of the developments in this story as it affects less than 10 per cent of the work force.

Ishita: I am disheartened that it has to be done, but not surprised. I’m sure the Equity Act is there somewhere in policies, but unless you have a leader who is willing to apply it, it remains a lip service. How is discrimination possible in a federally-regulated workplace? I honestly don’t have an answer for that. It could be that whatever was in place is still being applied and newer policies are not so implemented. What we should be looking into is whether there is a centralized way to apply policy or are organizations being left to decide what works.

Unfortunately, sometimes non-implementation can be intentional and unless checked, it can continue. So I guess the review is a good thing. Speaking as someone in healthcare, we see that health providers are largely well-intentioned, but that doesn’t mean they are above review.

On studies that show women are impacted differently by diseases and were yet not part of research studies until recent years.

Ceta: When you conduct research on animals, it’s said that you can’t assume all of the findings will apply equally to people. So how can we assume that research done on a narrow-focus group will apply all across the board? Gender, race, age, all of these impact results. And yet, it’s always a challenge to get people to look at their data categories.

Ishita: A lot of the issues stem from the fact that we still support treatment based on research that was conducted on men. There’s something called generalisability, also called external validity, which is basically to how many groups the results apply. Studies conducted on middle-aged white heterosexual men might not apply to women, older and younger people, people of colour or members of the LGBTQ community, but results are still used as baseline approach. We’re now seeing that it’s a flawed approach.

Change won’t happen overnight, every hospital in every country has been using those studies. And many old procedures have worked well for X number of years. We need more new research, and until we have that, we can’t just throw the old research out. But we are seeing improvement. We are getting education on how to better understand the social determinants of health that can have more impact than biological factors, and to account for their unique influences on health. We might not have all the answers but we are aware of the gaps.

 On women not being taken seriously by their physicians.

Ceta: I haven’t experienced this personally but have heard people talk about it. A friend of mine, a doctor, outlined the barriers she’s faced in her interactions with male colleagues. So yes, it does go on.

Ishita: I don’t recall seeing a physician treat a man or a woman differently for, say, congestive heart failure. But physicians can fall back on stereotypes. Like telling an obese person that losing weight will resolve all problems. Similarly, I’ve heard that women’s mental health issues might be dismissed. But on the flip side, men tend to report less, and therefore, that might be why they are taken more seriously when they do. But issues are discounted not just by gender, this happens due to race, age, or even weight. There are subtle assumptions about how a patient should live their lives. For instance, a physician told a patient of colour that her health issues were due to the food she consumed, but it turned out to not be the case.

On unequal representation on boards and in senior positions and if mandating representation is the answer.

Ceta: Boards have to be intentional when they seek diversity, not go through the motions just because it’s mandated. They have to be enthusiastic about diversity representation and have what researchers call critical mass, so that people of diverse origins and backgrounds are not isolated. Personally, I am in favour of seeing it mandated, we have to do this to encourage a diversity of views and opinions. But it’s really more about implementation and being backed by strong public policies and a welcoming environment. Otherwise you can wind up with the token representation but a rotating membership.

Ishita: In my experience doing equity work, specially in the last few years, ‘representation’ has almost become a buzz word, a cliché. A way to sell your newspaper or sell a project to a funder. Raising awareness is always a good thing but often people will use the tag without actually working on it. We need to find a way to integrate it in all our systems so the question doesn’t come up in the first place. If equality principles were engrained at all levels, it would lead to diversity at senior levels and gender diversity would not be something we are astonished at. Prime Minister Trudeau’s “Because it’s 2015,” received so much mileage precisely because it was so newsworthy. Equal representation is still such a big thing.

I believe education, starting at a very young age, can help shape the way society thinks. It can help people interpret situations through an equity lens. I don’t think anyone talked about this until I was at university. At home, my parents are very progressive and always encouraged me as much as my brother. But in neighbouring desi families, I’ve also observed that that’s not always the case. I am aware of the distinctions we make between sons and daughters. While I’m not comfortable commenting on people’s culture, I know that speaking of our own community, there are certain values that resonate with me and others that we can change. But equity work requires a lot of time, a lot of effort.

“It always comes with a caveat – she’s brilliant, but...” – Ishita Aggarwal.

On different expectations from men and women in their professional lives – the cancellation of a book club event with lawyer Marie Henein, for instance.

Ceta: Marie Henein is brilliant. If I was ever charged with a serious offence, I’d like her to represent me. But there are a couple of things in play here. People who opposed her do so because of her connection to Jian Ghomeshi without seeing her role as his lawyer. I’ve met her socially once and was blown away by her in person. I think it was a foolish decision to drop her book club event. She could be a role model – young girls might benefit from hearing about her personal journey. Of the possible conflict between her personal values and professional demands.

But not just in her case, generally speaking, it’s unfortunate what strong women have to face. It stems from insecurity, I believe. Women are taking the lead and men have to step up if they want to compete.

Ishita: Yeah, definitely. Successful women may be admired, but they are not celebrated. It always comes with a caveat, she’s brilliant, but... That doesn’t happen for men. In my field, a brilliant but blunt and cold male surgeon is easily accepted. A female surgeon, just as brilliant, were she to be blunt, is seen as arrogant, or too full of herself. Women are also expected to be the social glue in a family. Take care of the spouse, children, parents, in-laws, fulfil all of these roles all of the time. We still have an innate desire to see women as soft, caring... a strong woman can be all that, but she doesn’t match the archetype of a “good woman”.

It’s a case of women can never do right, men can never do wrong! If a woman focuses on a career, she’s aggressive. If she focuses on her home, she’s not contributing to society, not doing her part. A man is a breadwinner. And the stay-at-home dad is a great dad. It’s easier for men to make decisions, society enables them to do so and follow through.

On women being more adversely affected during the pandemic, on the “she-cession”.

Ceta: Armine Yalnizyan has done a lot of work around what she dubbed the she-cession. A lot of the negative impact of the pandemic on women has to do with the fact that we don’t have a national children’s program. Even for women in protected industries, issues like childcare come in the way of their career choices and decisions. And industries continue to be segregated by gender. Woman in the hospitality industry bore the brunt of the lockdowns.

This is historical. We saw it at the end of each of the wars – women were sent home so men could have jobs. You have to wonder if we’ll see something like this at the end of the pandemic. Because basically, existing conditions were exacerbated by the pandemic.

Ishita: I have no stats to support this and so this is anecdotal, but racialized women and people with disabilities were let go first. And it’s harder for them to come back due to the systemic barriers they face. Marginalized women had fewer economic resources to fall back on even before the pandemic, and without the supports they needed during the pandemic, it’s that much harder for many to climb out of a hole. At the beginning of the pandemic, before work-from-home became the norm, many chose to leave to take care of kids or elderly parents. It’s far more common for women to stay home, carrying the caregiver burden. So it’s really a combination of several factors.

Also, it wasn’t just in financial terms that women were impacted. Security, safety, social protections, all were affected. Cases of gender-based violence accelerated with women unable to leave their homes. This has so many downstream effects. Victims of gender-based violence are more likely to enter poverty.

On the “gender tax” or “pink tax”.

Ceta: This has been allowed to happen because of continuing business practices. It’s tradition! Again, by people not being conscious of the impact of policies and procedures. It’s not just about the apparel for women costing more than jeans for men. Part of what we have to do is apply a gender lens to every decision we make. Think feminine hygiene products. Seeing them being made available in schools is a positive step, a little progress in the right direction.

Ishita: That’s just plain ridiculous and there’s no excuse for it. You’re in essence saying there’s a cost to being a woman. It also applies to feminine hygiene products. One thing I’ve resorted to doing, as have many of my friends, we just buy the male version wherever possible. Razors for men, for instance, are cheaper and work better!

On other areas where women are at a disadvantage.

Ceta: Women are at a disadvantage in so many areas. Inequities in jobs and incomes can affect one’s life in a whole bunch of areas. Where you can afford to live, the time it take to journey to work, the time you have left to attend to personal or family needs, and so on. It’s a complex set of circumstances that are all interconnected and cannot be seen in isolation. It’s a web that affects your whole life.

Ishita: Women are definitely discriminated against in terms of opportunities available to them. There’s still an implicit thinking that women can only do certain things. Surgery is still seen as a man’s world. STEM fields, technical fields, these are all perceived to be male domains. Entrepreneurship or start-ups is another. You’ll often hear, “The female surgeon” or “female entrepreneur” because the default is the male surgeon or male entrepreneur, the female is the anomaly.

I’ve heard of a hospital where blue gloves were labelled ‘Surgeons’ gloves’ and pink gloves were ‘Female surgeons’ gloves’ as though female surgeons didn’t belong in the surgeons’ category. This was not in Canada, thankfully, and was taken care of following an outcry after it went viral. But there are so many such issues that people don’t think about – they are seen as small, so no one is invested.

Ceta Ramkhalawansingh (centre) leading a women’s studies class at UofT in 1975.

On personal experience of gender bias.

Ceta: Well look, a lot of my work has been policy-driven, arising out of my experiences and those of women I know. So there’s a long list! But broadly speaking, I know more women who have trouble getting access to services than men do. When I was setting up the equity and diversity programs at Toronto City Hall, there was a whole range of reactions. From support to obstacles and everything in between. Implementing a program like that requires work in a whole bunch of areas, so the responses are also more wide-ranging.

On a positive note, I’ve never faced any pushback on the scholarships I’ve set up for gender studies. People know that university is expensive, that one can either apply oneself to academic work or work two-three jobs to pay the bills. It’s hard to pull off both.

Ishita: Growing up in the desi community, what always stuck out was that dating was forbidden for girls, not for boys. After the age of 17 or 18 – sometimes even 16 – it was more or less okay for boys to date. Girls had to wait until they graduated, and only when they were going to get married were they allowed to go public.

And I recall a female friend in university being solicited by a teaching assistant for a sexual favour in exchange for a higher grade.

On whether women are in some ways responsible, if they hold themselves back.

Ceta: With the extent of patriarchy and not being in control of the levers of power, women can’t be responsible for the situation they are in. If for some reason they don’t reach for what others see as opportunities, if they don’t want to take chances, that might stem from their knowing they don’t have the support of their families and societies. From their awareness of systemic barriers.

Ishita: I definitely think that women tend to blame themselves for taking time for themselves. They also have a tendency hold themselves back. There are awards you can be nominated for in medical school. It’s much more common for a group of four guy friends to nominate each other than for a group of women friends. Guys tend to look for opportunities, they feel entitled and are able to take action to harness those opportunities. Women don’t take opportunities for granted, so they aren’t always looking for ways to make them happen.

But I see it more as a failing on part of society because women are taught to act a certain way. It’s important for us to feel we belong to these spaces. Until we do, we’ll continue to downplay our achievements. 

On what women can do to change the narrative, to fell less like an endangered species.

Ceta: We need more programs for women, for ethnic minorities, for Indigenous Peoples, for the LGBTQ communities. We need data to have policies in place, setting goals and timetable. We need affirmative action and a range of supports.

Society changes when you use your voice, when you take action, get out on the street.

So act as a mentor whenever someone approaches you. Help create an environment where people are free to voice their experiences. Give your time, listen to people.

At Innis College I co-chaired a working group about the student experiences of black students. We heard that they felt isolated because of low representation in student numbers and because they were not represented in the curriculum. Of the minor aggressions they faced every day. This helped formulate solutions and take those forward in institutional settings.

Ishita: I take hope from the fact that things are changing. I do think we’re better off than we were 50 years ago. So we’re moving in the right direction.

In terms of what women can do, engaging in conversations like these is important.

Self-education on women-centric issues. I sat on a panel through CanWaCH (a partnership of Canadian organizations and global citizens committed to advancing the health and rights of women and children worldwide) to discuss women’s issues and I learnt a new perspective. It strengthens my resolve. I am more comfortable sharing my opinions now than I was when I started. .

Support other women. But support yourself first. Set small personal goals. Every goal you achieve bolsters your confidence. Small steps have made me a much stronger believer in my capabilities and the positive impact I can have.

Share your learnings, lifelong.

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Women like Ceta Ramkhalawansingh and Ishita Aggarwal are opening doors for other women. Behind some may be yet another wall, but some doors show the way out and ahead.