International
Women’s Day

I have the privilege of working with a diverse group of talented, creative and inspirational faculty, staff and students. International Women’s Day offers opportunities for reflection and conversations on how we can promote equity, awareness of bias and affect positive change. While progress has been made to extend boundaries, much work remains. We must continue to draw attention to marginalized perspectives. I am so grateful for the mentorship I have received through my training and career from exceptional women in the Faculty of Medicine. They not only embrace and encourage diverse perspectives and uniqueness but also emulate these principles in their work every day. I am inspired by these individuals and strive to model these values as I mentor students. My wish is that learners will feel empowered to bring these values to their work in patient care and their respective communities moving forward, with a sense of responsibility and compassion.

Biases and stereotypes are unfortunately laden in society and impose added challenges and barriers to women as they work to achieve their goals, move ahead, and make change. Given that every woman has unique perspectives, untapped strengths, and valuable contributions, valuing these differences will foster a community of strong women with infinite potential. Challenging biases and celebrating diversity will forge an inclusive world that provides opportunity for women to do what they do best. After years of isolation and division, prioritizing inclusion is key to rebuilding communities, being innovative in response to challenges, and inspiring growth and change.

Now more than ever we are in need of new and radical solutions to the many problems we face today. The evidence is sufficient and clear. Diversity enhances creativity and leads to better decision making among many other benefits. What stands in the way? Bias. Bias undermines diversity. So many voices and perspectives have spent decades on the margins, left unheard. I often ask myself whether we would be in the position we are today had we heeded these voices and perspectives. Valuing difference has always been important. It is time to reframe the question and ask “What stands in our way in 2022 to eliminate bias and embrace diversity?”

I used to gravitate towards women with similar personality traits to me, with life stories that I could relate to. Over time I have discovered value in connecting with women that diverge from my way of being – even those that I might feel “put-off” by. I’ve gained insight that I would have never considered from my vantage point. As we emerge from the pandemic amidst global instability and heightened divisiveness, we can all help unravel the bias still woven through our society by listening to women with open minds. Hearing the diversity of experiences out there can dismantle assumptions of what women should be doing with their lives and help us to recognize the possibilities in front of us when we work together.

Making a better world requires us to work together – and bringing together diverse perspectives and voices helps us to gain a holistic view of the more just world that I think we should all be aiming for. If bias or the limitations of our own experiences and worldview hold us back from justice and from making a better world, then we need to work to root it out within ourselves and systemically. In my experience, we also need to be held within a community of people who will widen our perspectives and hold us accountable for who we say we want to be.

Although as a society we have come a long way, I am reminded daily that even in 2022 there is improvement to be had when it comes to breaking biases and, perhaps more importantly, the fundamental values that fuel these biases. Whether it is women having to ‘break the glass ceiling’ into new leadership roles, or a lack of BIPOC representation in careers such as my own, evidently ‘old’ biases still hold merit in our sociological infrastructure. This has set many people up for an uphill battle throughout life in capacities such as socio-economic status, educational opportunities, health care access or basic human rights like access to clean drinking water. We have come far, but we cannot forget about those who are still fighting these uphill battles.

Now more than ever, as women we are challenging biases that have been held against us for so long. Growing up, before I knew what bias was, I was riddled with self-doubt because I was a girl who did not look like anyone in her classes. Consciously and subconsciously, my voice was being silenced because of my gender and cultural background. Today, I am still learning to find my voice and overcome the harmful messages ingrained in me. My hope is that young girls will not continue to face the same fate. In 2022, I want to encourage girls and women to tap into their power, recognize their value and place in this world and embrace rather than hide the things that make them different.

It’s time to move beyond ‘us and them.’ It’s time to raise up every person we meet, to celebrate queer people, people of colour, people with different abilities, to love and respect bodies of every colour, shape and size. This is the 2022 I am fighting for.

Valuing differences, for example by diversifying our healthcare workforce, is a first step, and arguably the easiest one. The steps that follow involve critically assessing whether our immediate and systemic environments are truly inclusive and equitable in the allocation of power and opportunities. In 2022, progressing towards remedying centuries of structural and institutionalized racism, sexism, and oppression will involve listening, believing, and then taking real action in the forms of time and resources. Importantly, these steps also involve a collective motivation and unwavering energy towards achieving a justice-oriented future.

Matriarchs are the foundation of our Indigenous communities, for too long our Indigenous aunties, mothers, daughters, and sisters have been silenced by the patriarchal system imposed by colonization. Now is the time to empower our Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. Now is the time to value their knowledge and uphold their wisdom. Now is the time to reflect on our positions within society and take collective action to enable Indigenous matriarchs’ autonomy, agency, and power once again.

“Strengths lie in differences, not similarities.” I have found this quote from Stephen Covey to be true across many facets of life. I was asked to consider “why is breaking bias and valuing differences so important in 2022?” I believe those goals are no more important in 2022, than they were in 2021 or will be in 2023. They are big goals, and they will take time and the commitment of many to achieve. At a personal level, I am committed to doing something each and every day to work toward breaking bias and valuing differences with those around me, and in ways that have impact.

It’s 2022 – it’s time for equality! As women, and especially for us women of colour, we continue to face cultural and professional bias and prejudice. By valuing our differences, understanding each other’s needs, and breaking these biases we can work towards levelling the playing field and making more opportunities for women to move ahead.

Now more than ever, supporting the inclusion of women in STEM from diverse backgrounds is essential. I have been fortunate to learn from and work alongside many strong, kind, and empowering women. I will strive to emulate these women in my future career in order to continue to break down barriers and biases in medicine.

We are living in a world seemingly dominated by division: politically, economically, physically, socially. In my work as a geriatric medicine fellow, I see how much these divisions have affected the daily lives of my patients, their families, and caregivers. It can be so easy to overgeneralize and rely on stereotypes, especially in encounters charged with anger and frustration. It is in those moments I remind myself these individuals may be experiencing the worst times of their lives, often in complex situations with no simple solutions. Our differences make us unique, and through respectful sharing we can learn from each other to overcome adversity. Through breaking bias, and relying on compassion and empathy, we can make meaningful connections, find hope, and move forward.

Because there is no time like the present. Because it’s always the right time to celebrate diversity and equity. Because biases should be critically placed in their time and place…which are likely outdated and harmful. Because now is always a good time to strive for something better. Because the present is a time that’s not good enough for far too many. Because it’s time to stop putting off ‘till some imagined future. Because we can all make a little time. Because sometimes all it takes is time. Because we can all make time. And it’s time to make a difference.

Diversity and inclusion are more than just policies in the workplace or in everyday life. Respecting the unique needs, perspectives and potential of all is important for those to earn a deeper trust and commitment. People will build a stronger sense of identity and wellbeing. Understanding and addressing biases that you have are important so that you are aware of how you treat and interact with others, both consciously and subconsciously. Be aware and accountable for your own actions. Life is a privilege and with it comes responsibilities. Positive changes are a lifelong work in progress.

The pandemic has highlighted not only the increasing complexity of patient care needs but also the growing inequities in health care delivery and distribution. In 2022, if we are to successfully address these challenges, we need to break biases such as gender, race, and affinity. Only in tackling personal and societal prejudices can we leverage the strengths of diverse life experiences, knowledge bases and skills. By valuing differences, we can design innovative solutions to these complex issues and build an equitable health care system.

In 2022 inclusivity and acceptance are still not the norm in society. Bias displayed as divisiveness, discrimination, animosity and intolerance is more easily encountered by the prevalence of social media. How we relate to others is initially influenced by our family and community. If we don’t lay the foundations for inclusivity, compassion and respect early our youth are exposed to negative information from “influencers” without tools and knowledge for critical evaluation. Encourage children to ask questions and be curious regarding aspects of diversity of culture, sexual orientation or identity, race or disability. They ask from innocent desire for knowledge, not discrimination. We need to break our own biases, share the knowledge and experiences we have gained before those biases are passed to yet another generation.

We’ve come a long way but I believe the pandemic has shown us that we still have much further to go in terms of achieving gender equity, inclusion and diversity. As a mother of a mixed-heritage daughter, I’m deeply committed to breaking the bias and creating a better world so that she and future generations of women and girls have endless opportunities and feel empowered to follow their aspirations.