Munk One students (L to R) Carey Davis, Marium Nur Vahed, Elizabeth Shaw, and Lucinda Hilbert, visit the Supreme Court in Ottawa. (Photo Credit by Marium Nur Vahed)

During September 25 and 26, 2017, four of Munk One’s students participated in UofT’s annual Women in House program at Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Established by Tina Park and the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, it is a non-partisan and bilingual program to promote greater female representation in the government through the shadowing of politicians. In light of celebrating Canada’s 150th, the students were given a special perspective on the day-to-day operations of the capital. Here are the personal blogs of their experiences.

—–

Carey Davis:

Our world is a symphony of impressions marked by myriad individuals. By those who dare to challenge, to march into the fray, to ask the hard questions, to seek the truth. The Women in House Program organized by U of T and Parliament was an incredible opportunity which illustrated just how remarkable change catalyzed by ordinary people can be. Through meeting the likes of MP Carolyn Bennett at the Welcome Reception and then shadowing MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj for a full day, I came to realize that these were courageous citizens with the volition to crusade for what they believe in.

The opportunity to witness such assiduous individuals endeavor tirelessly for their constituents, Canada, and the global community was a remarkable and distinguished opportunity. This experience left an indelible mark on me in regards to just how imperative public service is. I was able to sit in on the Committee of Foreign Affairs and watch as change occurred in real time. In the House of Commons, Question Period sparked the air as the debate burgeoned into the ecstatic. Honorable Wrzesnewskyj also dedicated his morning to answering my questions concerning his tremendous and pivotal humanitarian efforts, in addition to engaging in a dialogue with me about the current political climate and its implications for tomorrow’s policy.

Liberal MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj discusses humanitarian efforts and the imperative nature of government in those endeavours with student Carey Davis. (Photo Credit to Carey Davis)

As I am at the genesis of my studies at U of T, the plethora of opportunity sparks my ardor for knowledge and only emboldens me to harbor the audacity to shake the world. Through Munk One, my schemas and preconceived notions have already been rattled, which manifests the beauty of education in that it serves as the perennial challenger to ideas, thus inspiring novelty and innovation.

I am still reeling from just how fortunate I am. The efforts of people from within U of T and Parliament to establish such an inspiring and encouraging program in itself proffers hope for a more egalitarian future where government can effectually serve as a platform for a mosaic of voices. Our political activism is fundamental to the work ahead, as we can be the impetus the world so desperately needs in understanding the cosmopolitan framework and in implementing solutions.

Marium Nur Vahed:

Once in a while, I need a dose of inspiration, without which I begin to worry that my optimism for creating change in the world is attributed to, as I’m often told, ‘youthful idealism’. This time, the inspiration came in the form of the University of Toronto Women in House Program: which provided the opportunity to encounter female politicians who are actively seeking a better society, and who are also very willing to let us stand on the shoulders of their success to further gender equality and the feminist movement.

Student Marium and Senator Ataullahjan stand at her desk in the House of Commons. (Photo Credit to Marium Nur Vahed)

I was fortunate to shadow Senator Ataullahjan, whose approach particularly resonated with me – determination and a matter-of-fact attitude in the face of the challenges presented by political life (i.e. a patriarchal, xenophobic society; the setbacks of petty politics). I sat watching as she edited her statement calling attention to the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, often citing statistics off the top of her head – demonstrating to me how to turn outrage at the status quo into driving awareness and positive change for the greater public, and doing so methodically and thoroughly throughout. This corroborated the lessons I had been learning through the Munk One program – to be methodical researchers, to pursue our outrage and our passion, and transform our findings into tangible positive outcomes: lessons I apply to my everyday life, and as I pursue my future political aspirations.

Beyond shadowing, an unexpected side benefit was recognizing the same passion and dedication that I personally feel, and saw in the female politicians in room, in the hundred girls who had travelled with me from University of Toronto. It’s a similar sort of passion I’m accustomed to in my Munk One classes, however made all the more tangible against the backdrop of Parliament Hill – amidst the committees, question period, and the media presence.

If one hundred women in my generation are willing to fight to make a positive difference, I am extremely optimistic that we will succeed.

Lucinda Hilbert :

Don Rusnak, the MP for the Thunder Bay and Rainy River region, was grateful enough to host me for the whole of the next day. His schedule was packed with meetings from different committees, foreign delegates, and union workers from his district. He was so busy in fact that I spent most of my time with his assistants, Marianne and Rachael, two undergraduate students who complete the research, communications, scheduling, printing, and anything else that the MP requires completing. Running around with them all morning was a whirlwind of last-minute arrangements. Getting to watch two women not much older than me work through the political dialect and agenda of a professional politician was my real female empowerment.

In Munk One, we talk a lot about the importance of speaking to the populations we are trying to help empower, and Don Rusnak certainly embodied that. Despite my pestering about the lack of female representation, he was quick to assure me that he worked hard in his district and in Ottawa to ensure that the intersectional needs of all of his constituents are represented through a variety of councils, organizations, and community engagement initiatives.

Don Rusnak with one of his assistants, Marianne (left), and student Lucinda in front of his office in Ottawa. (Photo Credit to Lucinda Hilbert)

As amazing as meeting all these politicians was, I can’t ignore how important being surrounded with likeminded young women was. From catching coffee between meetings, getting dinner together, or having conversations on the bus home, getting to speak with some of the other participants about our thoughts on Canadian public policy, the state of democracy, or how we experience sexism in out own lives was therapeutic and authentically empowering.

In conclusion, through the Women in House experience I felt empowered as an individual to enter politics. Seeing good people work hard to represent their constituents was a bode of confidence for any young voter. Unfortunately, it is clear that the current system is not accessible to women, and further proves that our country is built on a patriarchal system. There are anomalies, women who speak of great sacrifice and resilience, and say they can’t believe they made it. Women in the House was an important experience, and I hope that women of all professions have an opportunity to see their future workplaces while still in school to gain an understanding of the challenges and tribulations associated with being a woman in a man’s world.

Elizabeth Shaw:

This past week, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Parliament Hill as part of the University of Toronto’s Women in House contingent. I learned a great deal about the federal process during the trip, as well as the logistics of a day in the life of an Ottawa MP. Perhaps my favourite part of the program was being surrounded by such empowered and inspiring women, both politicians on the Hill and within our Women in House cohort. It was a great chance for me to apply what I am learning at university, and at Munk One, in a larger setting. I also had the chance to meet a representative of the European Parliament, Anders Vistisen.

Upon arriving in Ottawa, our group was granted a Question and Answer session with the Supreme Court Justice Andromache Karakatsanis. I had expected a justice with her as many years of experience under her belt, such as herself, would be intimidating; that was not at all the case. She described her beginnings from an immigrant family, her education at the University of Toronto and, later on, at Osgoode Hall. It was quite the honour to have met a female judge who has served her country for such a long time, and who has made decisions that paved the way for modern Canadian law. Justice Karaktsanis’ decisions have, and continue to, shape the lives of Canadians everywhere.

MP Daniel Blaikie and Elizabeth, after a day of shadowing. (Photo Credit to Elizabeth Shaw)

The following day, I put my parliamentary skills to work by shadowing MP Daniel Blaikie. After having breakfast in the Confederation Building, I sat in on an interview with Mr. Blaikie, his staff Ariel and Bill, and ten parliamentary interns from the Parliamentary Internship Program. The interview was quite interesting; all ten of the interns were highly qualified and obviously very knowledgeable about the political process. It honestly reminded me a little of my Munk One class. Everyone was very politically aware, making it easy to get a meaningful conversation flowing. That afternoon, I got to see Question Period in the House of Commons. This was a highlight for me, because I got to see most, if not all, of Canada’s MPs sitting in one room, debating several different policies. Issues such as financial spending and indigenous rights, among others, were discussed. As someone passionate about domestic and foreign policy, it was invigorating to see it in action, on such a large scale.