Overcoming gender inequality
St. John’s youth leader Katherine Dibbon attends Youth for Gender Equality Conference in Ottawa
Change always starts at home, and that home could be anywhere across the globe.
To make that change equitable, especially for females who suffer from gender inequality, a host of like-minded youth are brainstorming and working with a number of equality driven organizations to make this happen.
One of those youth, Katherine Dibbon, a Grade 12 student at Waterford Valley High School in St. John’s, is a staunch supporter of those rights and works with many of her classmates on a daily basis on any number of social justice issues with the lone goal in mind of making the world a better place for everyone.
Dibbon attended the Youth for Gender Equality (YGE) Conference in Ottawa April 13-16, where she participated in a number of sessions that included the first day of the Y7 Summit, which is a youth delegation of the G7 that brings together four youth from each of the G7 countries.
Dibbon said there were 15 youth from a host of organizations attending the event held at city hall as part of the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation.
“I was able to speak to the delegates at the plenary session about YGE and the importance of looking at gender equality with each decision we are making,” Dibbon said.
“At the Y7, we were able to observe the negotiations around each topic, got to network with some of the amazing delegates and even heard from Sophie Grégoire Trudeau.”
Dibbon said the weekend was an incredible learning experience for her, as she was able to connect with youth from across the country, from different backgrounds and life experiences, who shared a passion for gender equality.
“We worked on policies we want implemented, had great discussions and worked towards creating a sustainable future for each and every human,” she said.
“I had the privilege of hosting a pilot dialogue with 10 of Newfoundland’s youth. We were able to talk about the different ways gender inequality happens throughout our local community and the international community and what needs to be done to reduce this injustice.
“A big trend we’ve been seeing so far through the 12 pilot projects across Canada is that youth want policy change and other changes in our schools. I think a big reason why we want this is because these changes are concrete. That’s not all we want. There’s a huge need to further look at the wording of these changes and how we are creating them.”
Youth for Gender Equality (YGE) is a three-year groundbreaking initiative involving youth from across Canada to discuss and support the development and implementation of a youth-led sustainable development goal and implementation plan. It is run by Plan International Canada and 20 other partner organizations.
Dibbon said intersectionality is such a key aspect in making sure everyone is considered, which in essence is the only way society can effectively create a better Canada for everyone. Intersectionality includes socioeconomic standing, disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and much more.
“We’re not just looking at man, woman, girl, boy — which is where our thinking often defaults. Taking a Gender transformative approach to these issues is important,” she said, explaining that gender is a fluid noun and can be used in many contexts.
She said there is an explicit intention to transform unequal gender power relations by looking deeper into the issue not only to improve conditions, but to improve a social position via a rights-based approach.
“We want concrete change for every person, and every Canadian. It is evident that we want to put in the extra work and make this a solution for everyone. This is valuable to us,” Dibbon said.
“YGE is unique in its ‘for youth, by youth’ approach. We as youth are directly affected and involved in the dynamics of these policy discussions, so who better to orient and frame them?” YGE is responding to an essential need that is not being met. Sustainable development goal No. 5, gender equality, is unique in how it’s fundamental to each other sustainable development goal, making it a foundational principle for sound policy.
Dibbon’s next course of action includes working with PLAN and the Canadian Teachers’ Federation to create policies to present to the government in order to achieve gender equality.