Women leaders in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences say it’s also a day for recognizing the inequities that remain, particularly for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of colour) women and girls.

Reflecting on the 2022 International Women’s Day theme, #BreakTheBias, Dr. Marcia Anderson, the Cree-Anishinaabe physician who is the Rady Faculty vice-dean of Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism, notes that it’s been more than 30 years since employment equity initiatives were introduced at Canadian universities.

Yet a 2019 study by Dr. Malinda Smith of the University of Alberta shows that the senior leadership at Canada’s U15 group of research-intensive universities, including UM, is still overwhelmingly white and largely male. 

At those 15 institutions, the study found, university presidents were 80 per cent white and 87 per cent male. Provosts and vice-presidents (academic) were 100 per cent white and 67 per cent male. Deans of faculties and schools at the universities were 92 per cent white and 68 per cent male.

“The work that has been done has not adequately removed the barriers to the advancement of Black, Indigenous and other racialized women,” Anderson says. “The theme ‘break the bias’ presents an opportunity to question why advancements have mainly benefited White women, and to refocus on continuing progress for Black, Indigenous and other racialized women.

“Anti-racism is a core foundation of our work at this time. Explicitly identifying the obstacles experienced by Black, Indigenous and other racialized women and intervening in structural ways is how we will work to break the bias.”

We asked other women leaders in the Rady Faculty to reflect on the theme of “break the bias” and how it connects with the Rady Faculty’s commitment to approaching equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) through an anti-racism and social justice lens. Here’s how they responded:

Dr. Vanessa Van Bewer, assistant professor, College of Nursing:

Bent

The bias is not broken

Maybe slightly bent

Measure not the breaks

But the bias of the bend

 

Underneath this skirt

Moccasins well bent

But like bias not broken

Warrior sisters hell bent

Dr. Ming-Ka Chan, co-director, Office of Leadership Education, Max Rady College of Medicine:

“Equity means that everyone is provided with what they need to succeed, and everyone has a sense of belonging. Intersectionality is so critical – considering all the axes of power and privilege. I’m motivated by seeing groups and individuals working together to co-create and think about how our spheres of influence overlap and intersect.

“For example, wellness requires being and feeling welcome. That sense of belonging and how we foster that is being explored in the context of oppressed individuals and groups. That is encouraging.”

Raman Dhaliwal, associate vice-president (administration) and executive director, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences:

“Gender equality is an important piece, but there are many other factors that contribute to barriers for women. Breaking the bias in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences means providing an environment where all individuals feel supported and have equitable opportunities, without being disadvantaged.

“Although I personally have felt supported in my career growth and progression at UM, when I’m participating in leadership discussions, I do notice that sometimes I’m the only person around the table who looks like me or has had a similar path in life. I look forward to being part of further advancing a workplace free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.”

Dr. Delia Douglas, anti-racism practice lead, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences:

“Our policies, strategies and collective actions for social justice should speak to the complex ways in which gender diversity, race, class, disability and sexuality intersect. It’s imperative that we implement policies and practices that address the integrative nature of women’s lives, namely the different histories and particular vulnerabilities that inform the specific nature of their oppression.

“It’s important to avoid either/or approaches to addressing social justice, so that we don’t reinforce white supremacy while challenging gender inequality.”

Dr. Hagar Labouta, assistant professor, College of Pharmacy:

“We still have a long way to go for an equitable world in which differences are celebrated. We have not done enough to combat forms of discrimination such as Islamophobia, anti-Asian racism and xenophobia. The Rady Faculty has made great strides, but we may further need to create a safe environment for students, staff and faculty to give feedback to our leadership on perceived biases and lived experiences.

“I hope that as a female principal investigator (lead researcher), a hijabi and a visible minority, I send a message that scientists have no stereotype.”

Valerie Williams, director, equity, diversity and inclusion, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences:

“Raising awareness of the negative impacts of bias is important, but we also have to recognize that 60 minutes of implicit bias training will do little to change people’s decision-making. I suggest we focus less on attitudes and more on our policies and systems, as these play a key role in creating the conditions that influence behaviour.

“Let’s create a call-in (as opposed to call-out) culture at Rady and hold one another accountable. If we see someone making a decision based on a bias, let’s speak up and ‘call it in’ with kindness, respect and compassion.”

The postdoctoral fellow in physiology is one of 10 faculty members, students or trainees in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences who have received 2020 leadership development awards through The Winnipeg Foundation’s Martha Donovan Fund.

Rabinovich-Nikitin’s award will fund her to take the online Laboratory Leadership Course offered by the European Molecular Biology Organization.

“It’s a career-development program to help advance a postdoctoral fellow’s next career step in becoming an independent investigator with their own laboratory,” said Rabinovich-Nikitin, whose long-term goal is to lead cardiovascular research on women’s heart health.

“I anticipate learning techniques and tools for leading teams, tailored specifically to the lab and research setting.”

The $250,000 Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund was established in 2019 to provide leadership development opportunities for women in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. Up to $50,000 will be awarded annually for five years.

“In this second year of the awards, we received 16 exceptional applications from women at all stages of their academic careers,” said Dr. Sara Israels, vice-dean, academic affairs of the Rady Faculty.

“I was struck by the diversity of academic interests of our awardees, extending from biomedical science to health professions education. We look to these women as future leaders across the full scope of activity in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.”

In light of the pandemic, many of the award recipients will enrol in online leadership programs.

DR. JOANNE PARSONS

Dr. Joanne Parsons, assistant professor of physical therapy in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, will use her award for online training through Academic Impressions, which offers programs for faculty and staff in higher education.

“I anticipate that the training will improve my understanding of leadership styles and principles, with the intention of ensuring that I’m a collegial, effective and efficient leader,” Parsons said. “It will elevate my ability to contribute to service within the university and the physiotherapy profession.”

Dr. Sonia Udod, assistant professor of nursing, will enrol in the Certified Health Executive Program and LEADS Inspired Leadership Program offered by the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

DR. SONIA UDOD

Udod foresees that by expanding her own leadership capabilities, she can disseminate more leadership knowledge to graduate students and build research capacity in the area of leadership.

“I want to learn more about creating a culture of innovation in the master of nursing leadership stream, and about leading organizational and system change to improve patient care,” she said.

Any woman who is a full- or part-time academic faculty member with a primary appointment in a college of the Rady Faculty, or a student, postdoctoral trainee or resident in the Rady Faculty, can apply to the fund to support her pursuit of academic leadership training.

2020 RECIPIENTS:

FACULTY MEMBERS

• Ming-Ka Chan, Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Jessica Hartley, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Joanne Parsons, Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Sciences
• Chau Pham, Emergency Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Christy Pylypjuk, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Sonia Udod, College of Nursing

STUDENTS/TRAINEES

• Jocelyn Elias, College of Nursing
• Kathleen Glover, Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Inna Rabinovich-Nikitin, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Max Rady College of Medicine
• Andrea Toews, College of Nursing