Over 1,800 delegates from 92 countries gathered in Ottawa for the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Worlds congress July 3-7 to discuss issues of gender equality.
The conference was co-hosted by Carleton and the University of Ottawa. Plenary sessions were held at the U of O campus and the Ottawa Convention Centre. Presentations covered a wide range of topics, including sex trafficking, accommodation and the hijab, federalism in women’s politics and peace-building in Afghanistan, according to the conference website.
The international congress aims to enhance women’s leadership skills and put feminist research into practice. This year’s theme was “Inclusions, exclusions, and seclusions: Living in a globalized world.” Discussions focused on the impact of globalization on women as individuals and as part of communities.
Event co-chair Rianne Mahon pointed to the interdisciplinary nature of the conference as being its greatest strength.
“It is the combination — the links among policy makers, academic researchers and grassroots activists — that is important,” Mahon said via e-mail. “When you can combine different strengths and different perspectives, it makes the movement for women’s equality vibrant and powerful.”
Major themes included inter-generational relationships between women, Aboriginal and indigenous issues and accessibility and gender equality.
Women of all ages, races, ethnicities and abilities were represented at the conference, which brought to light concerns for women in the economic, social and political realms. Impediments to women in accessing positions of power — commonly referred to as the ‘glass ceiling’ — were highlighted as a major issue that persists for women, including those with disabilities.
Issues of food security in the developing world, women in communist and post-communist societies, and current Canadian policy concerning support for women were also a topic of discussion.
Arts and culture were another major focus of the conference, which featured performers from around the world, according to the Ottawa Citizen. Feminists used music, theatre, art and dance to express their experiences and raise awareness of women’s issues. Performers included Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer and the Feminist Funnies, a female comedy group.
The conference allowed women working at the ground level to share their concerns with policy makers and learn about new feminist research.
With all the concerns raised and discussed by delegates, it’s the connections between feminist researchers and activists, Mahon said, which are the legacy of the conference.
“A lot of people had the opportunity to meet people from across Canada and the world who are working on similar issues and established contacts that will help them in their work . . . cuts to women’s organizations [have] weakened those links. I hope Women’s Worlds 2011 has helped to reforge them.”
The next Women’s Worlds conference will be held in 2014, Mahon said. The location to be announced in December 2011.
