My name is Liana Bailey. I’m a Registered Nurse and a Ph.D. student here at the University of Ottawa (School of Nursing). I have worked as a bedside nurse at the children’s hospital, CHEO, in the emergency department and currently work in a research role at the children’s hospice, Roger Neilson, here in Ottawa. I also do academic (research and teaching) work in the University. My doctoral work aims to explore the ways that grief exists in the lives of children with life-limiting illnesses. I hope to do an ethnography in children’s palliative care.

My experience with Feminist/Women's/Gender Studies and/or practice is admittedly quite limited – and broadening it is one of my goals with this course. Ethnography (through anthropology and sociology) has faced many criticisms over the years, particularly with the rise of postmodernism – about its complicity in colonization, in ‘giving voice’, etc. Nursing too has been on both sides of such power dynamics. I think it’s crucial to recognize the roots of the work that we do and reflect critically on how we do it.

I loved the videos and reading of this week. I appreciate how, from the start, this course is looking at feminism through a lens of intersectionality. Dunne’s talk was concise yet compelling. Hooks’ chapter was very readable – with minimal jargon and a story-like fluidity. Both brought much to think about in regards to ‘current-day’ feminism (post-feminism?). I am looking forward to engaging with the course material alongside all of you!

I have limited background and knowledge with Feminist/Women’s/Gender Studies and practices. I cannot remember a specific time when I ever really learned about feminism. I know what it is and would even consider myself a feminist, but for me, it is more of a feeling. I feel very strongly about women’s (all women) rights. I often get terribly upset when I hear people speak down, unkindly, or make a ‘joke’ at the expense of women. It quite frankly makes my blood boil. So, I am hoping to expand my knowledge through this class and learn about diverse ways in which Feminism is impacting the world. Feminism is still needed in my opinion and will always be needed. There are so many people that have deeply engrained notions and views of gender that I do not think their way of thinking will ever go away.  

I concur with Jessica Dunne's perspective that feminism benefits society at large. It shouldn't exclude any subgroup, particularly women. However, it is not only a movement for women, and therefore I agree with bell hooks' assertion that feminism is for everyone. It is inherently intersectional, addressing not only gender disparities but also the interconnected forms of discrimination stemming from race, class, sexuality, ability, and various other identities. 

As an art teacher, I make sure to teach about indigenous artists in Canada (eg., Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig), I convey to them that while Picasso and Van Gogh's works are remarkable, there are also artists like Marie Bracquemond and Berthe Morisot worth exploring. I make sure to introduce students to different forms of music and dance, and in phys.ed. I try my best to create a safe and inclusive space where students of all genders feel respected and valued. I encourage all students to explore their interests and try new activities regardless of gender stereotypes, and of course, I teach my older students about consent and respecting personal boundaries.

I'm deeply passionate about feminism and education, and I'm eager to learn from this course and expand my knowledge in these areas.

My name is Francis Bryn Jones, but I go by Bryn. I’m located in Chelsea Quebec and I work as an elementary school Physical Education teacher near the Gatineau/Ottawa border. Although, this is the first course I have ever taken on feminism, my mother, an active feminist who for years help run a non-profit named PACT (Persons against the Crime of Human Trafficking), helped mold me from a young age and ensured I understood what feminism was. When asked, what is feminism? She would reply, well Bryn, feminism is a means of discourse between people regarding equality. Since then, I have considered myself a feminist, and have attempted to champion not only women, but also the vulnerable in my life and work. I decided to take this course as a way to continue this idea that people, regardless of differences, deserve a voice, deserve opportunities, and deserve respect. As I pursue my graduate studies, I hope this course will give me more perspectives on how best to promote feminism and continue to help me reflect on my current teaching and learning practices and how I can become more of an inclusive educator. If we look at the state of the world, there is no question that we still need feminism. With more polarization, aggression, violence, hyper sexualization, and disinformation, it is evident to me that this “discourse” is far from over. I liked how Jessica Dunne, a young woman activist from Ireland, expanded the understandings of feminism when she discusses intersectionality, or how all systems of oppression are actually intertwined, so one cannot discuss feminism without discussing racism, ableism or classism also for example, as they are connected. We must be wary of the media’s idea of what feminism is, and as Jessica points out, a “cookie cutter” approach fails to describe it. Feminism should be for all women, regardless of race, class, gender etc., and as an extension, should be for all people. bell hooks, a pioneer in feminism, asserted that feminism is for everyone. I agree. If we allow more of a “mass based educational movement which offers feminist education to everyone” (hooks, 2015), we will certainly give hope to youth attempting to make sense of the issues presented to them. I feel like feminist theory and practice are relevant to my life as a primary school teacher, as I still sometimes come across comments such as you throw like a girl, despite many of the girls actually throwing better than the boys during the childhood years. This is one reason why this feminist discourse should continue. As a lifelong learner, I am interested in learning more about the different theories and types of feminism and I enjoyed learning about this week’s content via the various modalities. As an adult learner who appreciates neurodiversity, I appreciate the diverse ways the course was introduced.    

My name is Emma Carr. I am a primary educator, working with primarily kindergarten learners! I am in my final semester of the Master of Education Program in Studies in Teaching and Learning. I currently reside in Ontario, but I will be moving to England to teach abroad at the end of the summer.

My experience with Feminist/Women’s/Gender Studies and/or practice has been very limited. Through my undergraduate learning in Child and Family Studies, few courses introduced Feminism and Women’s Studies in partnership with overarching themes in issues of focus, offering a brief introduction in broader theory. As an area of great interest, I hope that this course will allow me to develop a deeper understanding of feminism, including implications for classroom education. With this said, I am most looking forward to Module 9 in the course, concerning K-12 engagement in schooling contexts!

Reflecting upon the content in the introductory module, the work of bell hooks (2014) particularly resonated with me, as I too believe that feminism is for everybody. I admire the discussion of creating a mass-based educational movement to disrupt ‘negativity’ that may surround theories and concepts of feminism. When discussing feminism, I agree with bell hooks (2014), that one must acknowledge the positive contributions of feminist movements, growing an understanding that feminist knowledge is for everybody (hooks, 2014).

As for my educational background, I have an academic background in chemistry and I have received both a Bachelor and Master’s degrees in chemistry before I started my second master’s study in education. After I finished my first Master’s degree, I worked as a high school chemistry teacher in China for almost 2 years. During my learning and working experiences, I gradually noticed that even though the proportion of men and women in chemistry has nearly reached equal at the high school and undergraduate levels, female attribution at the graduate level is still significant. There is no doubt that this phenomenon is greatly influenced by patriarchy. Therefore, I would like to explore more about the underlying reasons from educational and feminist perspectives.

I do like the sentence written by Bell Hooks that “Feminist knowledge is for everyone” (Hooks, 2014, p. 24). The goal of feminist movements is not to change a male-dominated society into a female-dominated society. Instead, it is to enable all men and women to complete the consciousness awakening and truly understand gender equality. It is not only women who need to fight against the oppression and discrimination they have suffered, but men also need to make contributions to a more equal society in the future.

This is my first course with the Faculty of Education. I chose this course in particular as I believe there is a lot of overlap between development and education as they both relate to feminist perspectives. I would say I have an intermediate understanding of feminist theory from taking other feminist/gender studies courses and through my own personal readings. However, I feel like there is always more to learn about feminism as the field of study continues to evolve and embed itself within other areas of research. I would most definitely consider myself a feminist and I am in agreement with hooks' opinion that "feminist knowledge is for everyone". I think a lot of people tend to conflate feminism with misandry or pigeon-hole the movement into something that only concerns women, when in reality it is much more nuanced and multifaceted. Even the term "feminist knowledge" is perceived as something exclusionary due to mainstream patriarchal mass media, however, we do not see the same response to other types of specialized knowledge and it is exactly this contradictory standard that feminism seeks to address. With knowledge comes power and the advancement of feminist knowledge has seen to the empowerment of not only women but all those who fall victim to the negative effects of the patriarchy. As mentioned by Jessica Dunne, the concept of post feminism and the idea that feminism has achieved its goal denies the current experiences of the less privileged/marginalized. I agree with a lot of what she said as there is no one, true feminism, instead, it is an ever expanding, self-reflecting fluid movement that cannot be absolutely defined.

For that reason, I think feminist theory and practice is always relevant! Like bell hooks mentions "everything we do in life is rooted in theory". Feminist knowledge has helped me conceptualize and reflect upon a lot of my experiences and actively grow as a person. My favourite aspect of feminism is how it constantly challenges you to think differently and incorporate the ideas of others to better inform your opinions, values and beliefs. Feminism is not something you simply learn, it is something that you live.

While I was in law school, I was fortunate to participate in a month-long intensive exchange program with law students from Puerto Rico studying critical feminist legal theories. This course deepened my understanding of feminism and, in particular, the principles of third-wave feminism and the importance of intersectionality.

I am a proud feminist. What does that mean to me? To me, feminism is a foundational belief in the equality of sexes. As a feminist, I advocate for women's rights on the basis that no true equality exists until the patriarchal systems, institutions, attitudes, and beliefs that have oppressed and marginalized women, and have created and continue to perpetuate such inequality, have been eradicated. Feminist theory is relevant in my life in particular to understanding how my ADHD symptoms were unnoticed and misdiagnosed for so long. When I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, I began conducting further research into the symptoms and discovered that ADHD is quite frequently overlooked or misunderstood in girls and women because the symptoms have traditionally been studied in boys and men. The DSM criteria for assessing and diagnosing ADHD are biased toward male symptoms. In this sense, a significant gap persists between the experiences of men and women with ADHD and I'm looking forward to exploring how feminist theories may be helpful for exploring this phenomenon.

I'm also interested to further explore critical feminist theories and intersectionality to better understand how gender, sex, race, disability, income, and other factors also impact women's lived experiences and may perpetuate inequality or oppression.

I think that I have been a feminist for a long time but really only since I had my children have I labelled myself as such. I grew up surrounded by strong female role models including my aunts and older cousins. I also grew up surrounded by many positive male role models who treated women with respect and autonomy. For approximately 9 years I worked at an institution called Brescia University College in London, Canada’s only women’s university. It was during these years, surrounded by strong feminist ideals and female leaders, that I really started to think of myself as a feminist. As a parent I want my children to grow up aware of their privilege and to develop a strong sense of responsibility towards reducing inequalities in our world for marginalized people.  

My experience with women’s studies is quite limited beyond my own lived experiences. I see this course as a valuable opportunity to explore my current feminist beliefs, learn how to better articulate them and expand my perspective on what it means to be a feminist in today’s society. I found this week’s material to be very compelling and appreciated hearing Jessica Dune’s perspectives on intersectionality and feminism and that it is difficult to define one true definition of feminism. bell hook’s article provided me with a new perspective on the development of feminism as a topic of study and the continued need to evolve how we think about feminism to ensure that all women can identify with that term and feel included in feminist ideals.  

I’m very much looking forward to expanding my perspectives and learning alongside each of you.  

My name is Becky. I have to say, my review of this week’s content sparked a feminist piece of me that perhaps had been sitting latent for a while! I am in my MEd, Studies in Teaching and Learning. I am located in Orillia, Ontario.

I have never taken a class on feminism; however, I have surrounded myself with wonderful friends who chat about feminism often. I think I am very lucky in this way. I am looking forward to digging deeper into feminist theory in this course.

I do consider myself a feminist. I don’t know if I decided to be a feminist, or I came to identify with feminism more naturally over time. What I can say, is as I get older, I relate more to the intersectional feminism Jessica Dunne discusses. In that way, I relate to Jessica’s comment about how her own perspective on the need for feminism has changed over time. In 2024, I would say I am pretty forward thinking and liberally minded, with feminism underlying how I move through the world. Ten years ago, I think I had significantly less progressive thought processes! I decided to take this course because I would like to learn more about ableism within feminism. I am really looking forward to diving into this topic in a more focused manner.

In my intrduction on the course slide deck, I mentioned my dog, Casey, is often at my feet when I study, so I thought I'd share a snap of him here. I hope you all have a great day!

I am a wife and a mother of 2 beautiful girls, 11 and 9. I am also a doctoral candidate interested in exploring the lived experiences of resilience of Cegep nursing graduates during their transition into critical care practice.

Why am I interested in this?

Did you know that bullying, racism, sexism, harassment, horizontal violence, incivility, and jealousy are consistent themes present in the literature? Or that the profession of nursing has the highest rate of violence and bullying in comparison with other professions. Seeing as the profession of nursing is female-dominated, I could ask the question, “Why are women putting up with this”? Or even better, “Why are women doing this to each other”?

But alas, that’s another can of worms that needs exploring another day…so I will stick to the topic…do we “need” feminist theory? In simple terms, feminism, to me, is equality of rights. When I see, in 2024, that we (women) still need to raise our voices higher and louder, demanding to have a seat at the table where decisions are being made that directly affect us…then yes, absolutely, we still need feminist theory, and I am definitely a feminist!

The eloquence of Jessica Dunne’s talk at the age of 16 left me in awe. I agree that many women are isolated because we do not fit the cookie-cutter idea of what a feminist is, spread once again by societal beliefs. As an immigrant (I was born in South Africa), I am fortunate not to have experienced any type of oppression, but having two daughters who are growing up in this society scares me, so I am taking this course to increase my knowledge and awareness using a feminist lens. Also, I love critical theory (the idea of the panopticon when compared to the nursing station blew my mind), and seeing as feminist theory falls under the umbrella of critical theory, I have no doubt that the knowledge I gain during this course will be transformative in the actions I will take moving forward. As Bell Hooks said, “Feminist knowledge is for everyone.” I believe that the more we expose ourselves to feminist theories, the more informed we become and the more we can push forward to end women's oppression.

Hello everyone!

My name is Soe Wuttye Htoo and I am studying MA in International Development and Globalization at Uottawa. I currently reside in Ottawa. I come from Myanmar, and I have got Bachelor of Education from Yangon University of Education in Myanmar. I am interested in the areas of gender equality, women, peace, and security in fragile states. I enjoy quiet and contemplative activities such as reading and painting. Recently I am particularly interested in dioramas. If I have extra time, I would like to learn and create dioramas systematically. You can call me “Soe.” I look forward to getting to know all of you and engaging in insightful learning environment.

I take this course because it is somehow related to my educational background and my interest area. I absolutely support feminism. I grew up in Myanmar, a least developed country in Southeast Asia, facing decades of political instability and ethnic conflicts, which is currently under military rule. Myanmar military is a male-dominated institution notorious for gender inequality and the marginalization of women in decision-making roles. They have ignored women’s political representation, including women’s rights, throughout their ruling period. Myanmar women experience qualitatively different incidents of discrimination and violence. These factors pushed me for strongly supporting feminism. I think feminism is still necessary because gender-based disparities and injustices continue to exist globally. Like my country, issues such as gender violence including domestic violence, economic inequality, reproductive rights, and political representation are some areas where feminists seek significant progress.

In Hooks’s (2014) text, she argues for feminism to be a widespread movement accessible and understandable to everyone. Hooks emphasizes the importance of feminist theory in challenging patriarchal systems and promoting not only gender equality but also a more just and compassionate world. I think Hooks provides a compelling view of feminism as a vital, inclusive movement by recognizing interesctionality such as race, class, and ethnicity. Incorporating intersectionality into feminist theory and practice allows for a more understanding of social issues and enables feminists to advocate for justice and equality across different dimensions of identity. It is undeniable that feminism can play a vital role in challenging traditional gender roles and promoting inclusivity in various social circles.

I would say I have some knowledge of feminism. The topic of intersectionality, introduced by Jessica Dunne, deeply resonates with me because I have always believed that we all experience the world differently not just due to gender, but also ethnicity, age, sexuality, language, and religious beliefs. Intersectionality allows us to hear all the different voices. Along the same lines, I strongly feel about bringing a feminist lens to re-evaluate social issues and crises. I gave a workshop to a few groups of high school students last term on the global climate crisis and asked them to think about feminism in climate change from their personal experiences or the stories they have heard. For instance, how does the assumed care role of females impact their lives during a prolonged drought? Or how does the different level of access to knowledge/skills between genders in some areas affect indigenous females’ survival after floods?

I find this course interesting because in my field, we talk about the power imbalances in social structures, which could potentially influence all generations through the passing of knowledge, as knowledge is deeply intertwined with power. I really look forward to learning more about the connections between education, knowledge, and feminism.

I do consider myself a feminist, I'm not sure if it was something I decided more of something that feels ingrained in me. Being a woman in sports I have a lot of experience with feminist theory in sports.

I think we still need feminism as a way to build equity across all fields and the benefits it has for everyone as brought forward by Hooks (2015) I look forward to studying this idea further in this course and seeing how it can contribute to my work.