Halifax conference on gender-based violence addresses leadership and work harassment

Academics and community leaders come together to combat gender-based violence in the workplace.

A two-day conference on gender-based violence in leadership is taking place at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The gathering of community members, academics and elected officials called “Connecting for Action” is free to all.

It’s a joint initiative by Nancy’s Chair, the Be the Peace Institute, and the Alexa McDonough Institute. The first day involves networking and speeches, while the second involves developing action plans.

Gender-based violence has been labelled an epidemic throughout Atlantic Canada, and a recent survey sheds light on the issue of violence and harassment toward women in leadership and politics.

Dr. Mary Rita Holland, Nancy’s Chair in women’s studies at MSVU and a former politician, is hosting Connecting for Action.

“We know that gender-based violence is a problem in the province, and we know it’s a really difficult scenario for women and gender diverse and equity seeking groups across the country and we are trying to find ways to change that. I mean there is so much about it that needs work and really just delighted to have people here who have background expertise so we can start to think about what more we can do,” says Holland.

She said the Be the Peace Institute formed a group to explore why people from diverse backgrounds, including women, weren’t getting involved in politics.

“What they were learning from people is that the issue of potential threats of violence and harassment in politics was one of the main factors that kept people from putting their names forward,” Holland told CTV Your Morning Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett.

“It’s taking place inside legislatures, inside municipal councils but its also taking place online as well and it’s a big problem because as research demonstrates it is deterring political candidates from thinking about running for office,” said Tracey Raney, Toronto Metropolitan University politics and public administration professor. “As well, what we are seeing is that councillors and politicians when they are in politics are wanting to leave because of the experiences that they are having with harassment.”

She said the two-day conference aims to bring together a diverse group of academics, advocates, students and community members to better understand the nature of these issues and identify the next steps to promote meaningful change.

“We’ve got a trauma-informed perspective, so if people are interested in attending and they have that background, we would want them to know that we’re creating a space with lots of activities and sharing opportunities to support them,” Holland added.

“This is a really great opportunity for cross sectoral building of relationships from academics, practitioners, the nonprofit organization and politicians to talk about a really important and pressing problem in Canadian politics,” added Raney.

She said she had a lot of support when she was in politics, but “there were scary incidents during campaigns and then as an elected leader.”

She also spoke about feeling like a target and having demeaning comments made in relation to her gender, which she called unfair.

“It’s not something that you get a chance to talk about when you’re in politics, very much,” Holland said. “So, I’m very happy to be a part of this work.”

The organizers of Connecting for Action hope to build a network of supports for those in attendance, both in Nova Scotia as well as a broader aim of expanding through Atlantic Canada.

“So, that’s the objective, to just bring everyone together, to have these conversations, learn a bit more, make some connections so that we can continue the work,” said Holland.

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