A day is not enough, let’s take the whole month to celebrate women!
While progress has been made in the world since International Women’s Day was first observed 111 years ago, we acknowledge there is much more work that still needs to be done. Part of this work is ensuring that a variety of voices are heard, in our own communities and beyond, and recognizing how one must first feel safe before they can tell their story.
To mark the occasion this year we talked to Dr. Muna Saleh, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton whose research focuses on the intersections of motherhood, racism and ableism, among other things. She stressed the importance of sharing your story and talked with us about what brings her joy and her future hopes for change. In her work, Dr. Saleh has interviewed mother-daughter pairs from Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Syria, as well as families from Palestine. The women and children have told their stories about the gendered Islamophobia and Anti-Black racism they have experienced and barriers they have experienced as newcomers to Canada.
Dr. Saleh discussed the importance of being open to changing your mind and having compassion for different experiences, religion and ways of knowing as being essential for inclusive societies. In her November 2021 article for The Conversation, Dr. Saleh examined Islamophobia in Canada and the need for more cohesive education systems.
Still have questions or would like to read more stories about amazing women around the world working for change? You can find more titles in our collection, or chat with our knowledgeable staff to find more on the topic!
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