‘Tired of being afterthoughts’
Senator delivers powerful Women’s Day message in New Glasgow
A federal senator delivered a powerful message of work yet to be done in tackling violence against females on International Women’s Day in New Glasgow.
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard reminded her audience at Summer Street Industries that “we are tired of being afterthoughts,” when speaking of the devastating impact of violence on women from disabled, transgender, minority and other marginalized groups.
“Senators are supposed to be speaking for the rights of the disenfranchised,” said Thomas Bernard, who hails from East Preston.
She gave the example of a blind woman who was ignored by her own bank in favour of caregivers forging her signature to withdraw money from her account.
While many people think of violence as merely physical assault, it often includes financial, mental, emotional, verbal and spiritual abuse that is much harder to spot.
“Much of it is invisible to us. It’s hidden,” said Thomas Bernard.
For Thomas Bernard, this represented the ‘intersectionality of violence,’ meaning that women from marginalized groups can suffer both because of their gender and other identities.
A diverse feminist movement, which contains women from all backgrounds and walks of life, is key to fighting a culture of discrimination and violence.
But the feminist movement has not always been welcoming to women of colour or transgender women.
As recently as January, women from sexual and ethnic minority groups staged a protest separately from the main Women’s March in Halifax.
The ‘Walking the Talk’ rally was sparked by racist and transphobic replies to a since-deleted Facebook post on the Halifax Women’s March page.
Indeed, Thomas Bernard herself grappled over the question of whether or not she was a feminist for years.
“Some days I leave home as a woman and some days I leave home as a black person,” said Thomas Bernard. “Gender and race, they both impact my life.”
However, the senator was encouraged by the federal government’s support for gender equality in its budget released just days before March 8.
The 2018 federal budget includes more supports for women entering the workplace, equal pay legislation to close the gender pay gap, more cash for female entrepreneurs and those in training and funding to tackle sexual violence in universities and workplaces, among other measures.
“It’s incredibly encouraging and exciting and it gives me great hope,” said Thomas Bernard.
She saw International Women’s Day as a time to “hit the pause button,” and celebrate achievements gained by women, while reflecting on the issues and barriers that many women still face.
Thomas Bernard has broken barriers her whole life. She began her career as a social worker and educator, becoming the first Black Canadian full professor at Dalhousie.
She received the Order of Canada in 2014 for her efforts to promote diversity and tackle racism in social work.
Two years later, she was named to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
While appointed by the federal Liberals, Thomas Bernard sits as an independent senator for Nova Scotia. She is one of eight serving Nova Scotian senators.