A candid discussion with Dr. Laura Mae Lindo
Barriers to equity: Women, political representation and family
By Tracelyn Cornelius University Relations
Women face signifi
cant
barriers when it comes to achieving equity, particularly in politics
Dr. Laura Mae Lindo,
the Kitchener Centre Member of Provincial Parliament,
addressed these issues at a recent event
as part of
International Women’s Day (IWD)
series
hosted and organized by the University of Waterloo
in collaboration with the Women in Communications and Technology Waterloo Region Chapter (WCT WR
Speaking at
March 1
discussion
called
Barriers to equity: Women, political representation & fami
Lindo
shared
personal experiences
o
f
bein
g
a Black
single
parent
involved in politics.
highlighted that
ident
ifying
and addressing barriers to equity for women is particularly
timely
and relevant
Canada
strive
s
to create a more
equitable
society, not just for women
but for everyone.
"Women face various barriers when it comes to achieving equity,
s
he said. "
There is a need for a deeper understanding of the barriers that prevent racialized women from advancing in the system.
This involves
collecting and analyzing data
women
fail to
advance
recognizing the intersectional identities of women
and having meaningful conversations about the
issues
Lindo
recently
announced
that
she was leaving politics in July
to join the University
of Water
as a faculty member in
the department of Philosophy in
Fall
20
23.
Addressing her reasons for
resigning
, Lindo
revealed
that while she
d
id experience racism as
Kitchener’s first
Black MPP
a lack of
childcare
was the primary reason for her resignation.
Lindo
emphasized that childcare is not just a problem for women or racialized women, but an every-person problem that needs to be addressed.
encouraged people to face barriers publicly, saying that the more they do so, the more likely change will happen.
While r
esearch shows that Black single
women
face
significant
barriers
due to childcare
a lack of affordable
childcare is a barrier to advancement
for everyone," she said. "
I hope that by
raising awareness about childcare as a barrier,
real
change can happen.
Lindo also emphasized the need to transform education and pedagogy
She said that
she will
bring
a deep equity lens to
her new role as a philosophy professor at Waterloo.
The incoming professor
is a Black Cluster hire, an initiative created to increase the representation of Black faculty members to address the systemic underrepresentation of Black scholars at the University and to be more representative of the student body being served.
Before entering politics in 2018, Lindo was a former director of Equity at Wilfr
i
d Laurier University. She
also holds a
Masters
and a PhD
E
ducation from York University.
I
n
December 2021,
the MPP
tabled
Bill 67, The Racial Equity in Education Systems Act
which
would
recognize the existence of systemic racism and discrimination in schools and
post-secondary institutions and
require educational institutions to create racial equity plans.
Lindo
re-tabled the Bill
i
n August
2022
with co-sponsors MPP Lise
Vaugeois
and MPP
Jill
Andrew
Now called
Bill 16,
Racial Equity in the Education System Act
was scheduled
to be debated
i
n November
2022,
but Lindo’s father passed away that same month
and the
Bill
rescheduled.
Lindo, whose resignation as MPP comes into effect
July look
s
forward
the debate being rescheduled.
The discussion
Barriers to equity: Women, political representation & family
moderated by
Dr.
Jasmin Habib, Chair of the Political Science Department at the University of Waterloo
Building on the collaboration
established
during
IWD 2021 and 2022 WCT WR is partnering with
community
organizations to present IWD events throughout
the month of March 2023
that focus on the theme
Embrace Equity.
To learn more about more and to register for
other
events, please visit
IWD Waterloo Region
events page.