Demanding Equality, the new book from Joan Sangster, argues that Canadian feminism was polyphonic; it was a chorus of diverse political voices rather than solos sung by a few women leaders. It is difficult to distinguish a singular feminist consciousness or movement: rather, groups of feminists fashioned different dreams of equality, freedom, and social transformation.

The following is an excerpt from Bent out of Shape: Shame, Solidarity, and Women’s Bodies at Work by award-winning ergonomist Karen Messing, published by Between the Lines in April 2021. Dr. Messing is a professor of biology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, where she does research in partnership with unions and women’s groups. She was trained in ergonomics and genetics.

Canadians have lately been inundated with reports of sexual assault and misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces. From politicians to establishment feminists to even progressive media outlets, the solution to sexual violence in the CAF has been consistently posited as a “fundamental culture shift.” But how do you shift a culture that is at its core predicated on the exclusive right to carry out state-sponsored violence?

As patriarchy is profoundly harmful to both men and women, we ought to be working together to challenge it. The epidemic of gendered violence needs to be publicly acknowledged and named. Further, this acknowledgement is an imperative in a context where solidarity is desperately needed to engage in political struggles against the destruction and existential threat posed by capitalism and xenophobia.

Online gender-based violence, from doxxing to deepfakes to real life massacres, are becoming increasingly common as technology embeds deeper into our lives, yet governments and tech companies seem to largely ignore this devastating, sometimes fatal, issue. If we are serious about eliminating misogyny, we need to include conversations about online gender-based violence and tech-facilitated violence.

Free period supplies at the workplace is “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of rectifying an outdated and harmful social ethic that compels individual women to “manage periods at work,” rather than pushing organizations, institutions, and companies to adapt to and support the natural functions of women’s bodies. No more hiding, no more whispering. The time for change is now.

MeToo is attempting to redress a miscarriage of justice that stems from systemic inequity and a lack of recognition. Like any social movement, this mobilization should be viewed critically. However, it must also be viewed in the context of a failed justice system that is currently unable to restore justice and dignity to survivors of sexual violence.

Winnipeg recently lost an icon of the left, with the passing of Loa Henry. Loa was a life-long feminist, a creative, and a social justice advocate whose life stands testament to the clarity and depth of her commitment to progressive politics. As anyone who knew her can attest, Loa was no armchair theorist, but an activist who lived up to her commitments.

The Dream Gap Tour of elite hockey players put the women’s game back in the news this fall. Some of the world’s best players — including more than 35 Olympians — played in the four-team exhibition tournament that travelled to Toronto, Chicago and Hudson, N.H. A few months earlier, professional women’s hockey seemed to be in crisis.

Labour history shows us that working people can make great gains when they come together to challenge the power of capital. But it also reminds us that workers and the labour movement must be vigilant. They must continue to resist rollbacks of hard-won rights and protections, and they must continue to push for new victories. The history of labour struggles over issues related to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace holds important lessons that we can incorporate into our discussions of how to tackle these issues today.