Steinem sees signs of progress
Despite election of Trump, feminist icon offers some reasons for optimism
The U.S. may have the “worst president” it’s ever had, but feminist icon Gloria Steinem says she has seen progress in her fight for equality.
It was clear, though, throughout Steinem’s speech to an almost full house at the University of Toronto’s Convocation Hall that the work of challenging hierarchy is far from over.
Slavery may have been abolished in the U.S., she said, but the racism that fuelled it hasn’t been addressed.
Now in her 80s, Steinem has spent decades advocating for women’s rights and issues of equality around the world.
Earlier in the day, she shared her experience with more than 600 students in Grades 7 to 12 at Toronto’s Branksome Hall, an all-girls private school, as part of its annual Rachel Phillips Belash speaker series, which features renowned women. Last year, Arianna Huffington addressed the students.
This was the first year the school organized a complementary evening event open to the public.
Throughout the evening, Steinem answered questions from both the audience and moderator Amanda Lang, a business journalist with Business News Network, entertaining and no doubt inspiring a rapt audience with her insights and dry sense of humour.
Asked at one point what she thinks about the notion that women can have it all, Steinem said, “You can’t have it all if you have to do it all.”
The structure of work is still set up for households with a sole male earner with someone at home cooking the meals, she said. “It’s not human nature to live in the hierarchical way we do,” she said.
One solution is to give economic value to work in the home through tax deductions or refunds.
For Grade 11 student Charley La- Fayette, Steinem’s morning speech at Branksome Hall was “inspiring.”
“I was mesmerized, it was phenomenal to see her speak,” she said.
The students were able to ask Steinem questions and LaFayette, who is a co-leader of the school’s gender studies club, asked about the effect U.S. President Donald Trump has had on women’s rights.
Steinem, LaFayette said, told them that seeing someone who’s so against women’s rights has ignited a fire in both men and women and pushed them to start advocating for their rights.
In that way, the movement has been strengthened, despite some concerning new bills, LaFayette said, recounting Steinem’s response to her question.
“I really liked that answer,” she said, commenting on the optimistic way Steinem approaches her advocacy.
“She’s very tenacious in the way that she fights for rights and the way that she advocates for women, but it’s also a very positive,” LaFayette said.