Left photo: Dr. Sharanpal Ruprai, associate professor in the department of women’s and gender studies at the University of Winnipeg, reflects on the impact of female leaders such as Vice-President Kamala Harris (right photo).
change the landscape for activities across Winnipeg, but it also ripples out across the prairies and across the country as well.” And whether it’s in the White House or in Winnipeg- based organizations, Ruprai encourages leaders to focus on succession planning to ensure that doors continue to open for future generations. “You can have great leaders in great roles, but sometimes there’s no sense of who’s next. In these next few years, I hope that women who are in positions of power plan for who’s going to be next — whether that’s in a boardroom or classroom or in other job spaces,” Ruprai said. “We need to create that space for succession planning and mentorship in whatever capacity you’re in. I think the current U.S. administration is actively doing that.” For International Women’s Day, Ruprai is pleased to pause and reflect on the journey of women — yet she also encourages everyone to continue these conversations every day. “Everybody in rooms of power needs to look around and say ‘Who is represented here? Do I see the
the border, the ripple effect can be felt in Canada too. Dr. Sharanpal Ruprai, associate professor in the department of women’s and gender studies at the University of Winnipeg, says it’s important that women are represented at every level of every government. “Harris’s win is amazing and it’s going to have a great effect across North America. She has already proven to surround herself with smart, capable, young, ambitious people from across representations. I think that will help create bridges across these different groups of people,” Ruprai said. “It was quite telling in her speech when she said that she won’t be the last woman. She’s creating that kind of space to bring other women up — and that’s what is really needed.” Closer to home, there’s no shortage of trailblazers who are making history in our own province. “In Manitoba, we have NDP MLA Uzoma Asagwara as our first out black queer representative,” Ruprai said. “That’s a huge deal, not just for black people but also for queer people of colour. It’s going to
same demographic? Do I see the same faces?’ We really need to think about the demographics making decisions,” she said. “It’s great to have a day for women, but I think you need to be thinking about these things on a constant basis — not just on International Women’s Day. We need a lot more positive intersectional feminist representation across the board, and that challenge is for everybody around the table.” ◗
Proud to celebrate the extraordinary achievements women have made to build our province.
Dougald Lamont MLA St. Boniface Dougald Lamont MLA St. Boniface
Jon Gerrard MLA River Heights
204 - 289 - 1511 Cindy Lamoureux MLA Tyndall Park
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CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 13
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