Oxfam’s Carleton chapter hosted its first ever gala Nov. 6, drawing approximately 60 students in semi-formal attire to Fenn Lounge to discuss the topic of women’s rights nationally and abroad.
The event featured British Columbia senator Mobina Jaffer and Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar. Both politicians made speeches that tied in women’s rights to current national concerns such as the recently passed prostitution bill and the sexual harassment allegations that emerged against two liberal MPs this week.
Oxfam at Carleton is a student-run campus organization overseen by Oxfam Canada, a national humanitarian non-government organization that combats global poverty. Oxfam Canada is one of 17 organizations in Oxfam’s international confederation. While all organizations in the confederation share common goals, Oxfam Canada has a special focus on gender justice, according to their website.
“I would like university students to get uncomfortable where they are,” Jaffer said before her speech, which called the audience to take action on the issue.
National public engagement officer for Oxfam Canada, Kelly Bowden, spoke first to introduce the topic.
“Ending global poverty begins with women’s rights,” she said.
Bowden added the discussion on gender justice must begin in Canada to be expanded internationally.
“Though the scale is different [globally],” she said, “patriarchy is the bottom line.”
Jaffer spoke next, focusing the issue of gender justice in Canada on Aboriginal women.
“Rights are like an onion,” she said. “You have to peel them and peel them until they include everyone.”
Jaffer’s speech received a standing ovation from the audience.
Dewar arrived near the end of the speech and made many of the same points as Jaffer. Both politicians argued Canada must set an example and guide other nations in gender justice by investing in women and putting them in leadership roles.
Both speakers referenced the nearly 1,200 indigenous women in Canada who have been murdered or gone missing in the last 30 years as an example of the need for change.
“I’m going to use the F word tonight, and that is ‘feminism,’” Dewar said. “We need to talk about it more.”
First-year Carleton student Diana Idibe said that she attended the event because topics like women’s rights aren’t integrated into regular discussions and more exposure is needed.
Carleton’s Oxfam group is one of the most active in Canada, according to Amanda Gomm, who oversees all 22 of Oxfam Canada’s campus groups.
“The gala is really their initiative,” she said.
President of Oxfam at Carleton Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah said the group thought the gala would be a perfect way to showcase Oxfam Canada’s newest campaign, “Up for Debate.” The initiative, launched Nov. 4, is a call to federal party leaders to commit to a televised debate on women’s rights before the next federal election in 2015.
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