Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Building Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Your Location
Windsor
Faculty
Faculty of Law
Faculty Sponsor
Anneke Smit
Proposal
Substantial media and academic attention have been given to the concept of diversity nowadays, namely the participation of migrants and minorities within Canadian politics. While there is some discussion about the representation of women in municipal government, there is even less dialogue about the inclusion of women of colour in local arenas. Indigenous, racialized, and immigrant women are underrepresented at all levels of the government. By using the frameworks of anti-racist feminism and intersectionality, this paper will analyze the barriers faced by women of colour in the duration of their municipal campaign. Specifically, this paper will analyze the 2018 campaign of Toronto mayoral candidate, Saron Gebresellassi, and provide an analysis of her struggles with the following barriers: lack of public and media recognition, lack of financial resources, and the refusal to recognize her leadership. In so doing, this paper will demonstrate that women of colour continue to face barriers in the local political arena as a result of their identity yet are expected to futilely assert themselves in such spaces.
The Burden of Inclusion: The Case of Saron Gebresellassi and Women of Colour in Municipal Politics
Substantial media and academic attention have been given to the concept of diversity nowadays, namely the participation of migrants and minorities within Canadian politics. While there is some discussion about the representation of women in municipal government, there is even less dialogue about the inclusion of women of colour in local arenas. Indigenous, racialized, and immigrant women are underrepresented at all levels of the government. By using the frameworks of anti-racist feminism and intersectionality, this paper will analyze the barriers faced by women of colour in the duration of their municipal campaign. Specifically, this paper will analyze the 2018 campaign of Toronto mayoral candidate, Saron Gebresellassi, and provide an analysis of her struggles with the following barriers: lack of public and media recognition, lack of financial resources, and the refusal to recognize her leadership. In so doing, this paper will demonstrate that women of colour continue to face barriers in the local political arena as a result of their identity yet are expected to futilely assert themselves in such spaces.