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Women at the Front and Centre of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Facing disproportionate impacts and driving change

Date
March 08, 2021
Time
11:30 AM EST - 1:00 PM EST
Location
Zoom
Open To
Ryerson students, faculty and staff
Contact
Mary Ola mary.ola@torontomu.ca

Women are at the front and centre of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing disproportionate impacts and driving change. Join Ryerson community leaders for a dynamic discussion about this critical role that women have played in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

  • the ways that work performed primarily by women has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
  • the precarious nature of gendered work, while women are simultaneously losing ground in the labour market 
  • how women have led during COVID-19 both on the front lines as essential workers and within the university community
  • what is being done about the disproportionate impact on women in our society and here at Ryerson

Contributors

Monica McKay

Director, Aboriginal Initiatives

Monica is from Laxgalts’ap (Greenville), British Columbia, and is a proud member of the Nisga’a Nation of the House of Heewa’a and of the Gisk'aast Pdeek (Killer Whale clan). As Director and member of the Aboriginal Education Council, Monica is responsible for developing, leading and coordinating the implementation of Ryerson’s Aboriginal Education strategy. Her focus is on the success of Aboriginal students and cultivating partnerships to support Indigenous education at Ryerson. Learn more about Monica.

Monica McKay, Director of Aboriginal Initiatives as part of the OVPECI

Dr. Tanya (Toni) De Mello

Assistant Dean, Student Programming, Development and Equity, Faculty of Law

Toni is an educator, consultant, lawyer and the former director of Ryerson’s Human Rights Services. With a background comprising finance, management consulting and human rights law, Toni has spent much of her career focusing on, researching and consulting on equity, diversity and inclusion. Learn more about Toni.

Dr. Tanya (Toni) De Mello, Assistant Dean, Student Programming, Development and Equity, Faculty of Law

Cheryllee Bourgeois

Assistant Professor, Midwifery Education Program, Ryerson University and Exemption Métis Midwife, Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto 

Cheryllee is an educator, Métis midwife and member of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives. She helped establish the Toronto Birth Centre and has dedicated her career to supporting Indigenous communities bring birth closer to home. Learn more about Cheryllee (external link) .

Cheryllee Bourgeois
Assistant Professor, Midwifery Education Program

Wendy Freeman

Executive Director, Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Ryerson University

Wendy is the Executive Director of Ryerson’s Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. Having joined the Ryerson community in the spring of 2020, Wendy played a pivotal role in supporting the Ryerson community with the transition to entirely online learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about Wendy.

Wendy Freeman, Executive Director, entre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching

Veronica Zaragoza

Labour organizer, Workers’ Action Centre

Veronica is a Mexican immigrant who identifies as a lesbian, feminist and activist woman. With a background in law and the lived experience of being a refugee, Veronica has been actively engaged in advocacy work for lesbian, bisexual, queer, intersex and trans, immigrant women in Canada. Veronica is currently in George Brown’s Assaulted Women’s and Children’s Counsellor/Advocate program and an organizer at the Workers’ Action Centre.

Veronica Zaragoza, labour organizer, Workers’ Action Centre

Tamyka Bullen

Creative Artist

Tamyka has been involved in social services for women, immigrants, youths and the LGBTQA community for many years. She became involved in the theatrical world as an ASL poetry performer in 2015. She teaches ASL lessons, loves to craft and mingle stories, arts, poems, acting, dance and voice her feelings and thoughts through her hands, body language and facial expressions. Learn more about Tamyka (external link) .

Tamyka Bullen,
Creative Artist

Live captioning and ASL will be provided

Ryerson is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any additional accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation, please let us know on the registration form or email accessibility@torontomu.ca

Questions? 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Mary Ola, Intake and Administrative Support, Human Rights Services, at mary.ola@torontomu.ca.

Thank you to our supporters