Be Bold for Change.
Today on International Women’s Day, I am taking a breathe to pause and reflect… IWD is about acknowledging the experience that women have had and the real efforts that have had to go into creating a more inclusive world as we strive for gender equality.
My experience as a girl and a woman did not feel small or feel limited, but yet, in reflection it was all around me, I just didn’t realize it – because it was normal and as how normal changes, we are invited to appreciate the work that went into the change.
As a young girl I was championed to be brave and bold and I saw it around me. From the kids that I ran with, from mostly all girl families, the difference between how boys and girls were raised wasn’t actually all that obvious, but in hindsight I see that the differences were all around me.
I did initially grow up in a stereotypical gender biased household – blue collar dad, worked long days, travelled for work, stay at home mom, took care of the care and nurturing – until my later teenage years when my Mom pursued completion of her schooling and became an equal contributor to the family finances. With that change – the household dynamic changed. My dad stepped up in his caregiving – I remember him then doing things like vacuuming and making dinner; this change created formative moments for what my future household would look like.
From my early years, there were people around me championing women as girls. From Mr B – who built leaders through sport – his passion for basketball, teaching and coaching created opportunities for girls to grow their leadership through sport. My Dad who fostered an environment of perseverance, effort and hard work through my horsemanship and equestrian opportunities – never doubting what was possible, encouraged me to push past my own perceived limitations – and was there to watch me every step of the way. My PE teachers in Leadership class that fostered opportunities in nature that pushed my boundaries of both experience and physical limitations and first introduced me to true outdoor adventure.
There were momentous things happening all around me that I didn’t register the significance of in the moments. In the early 90’s the first women’s Rugby Team at SFU was created – I came out to a number of those early practices, but quickly decided it wasn’t for me – but those women, were women that went first. Women that broke a gender barrier that was long in sport as to which sports were played by women and which ones were played by men. Those gender barriers are still both active and actively coming down around us all today.
As a CEO today, people often ask me how I broke through the glass ceiling or what extra barriers I had to take down to have experienced the success I have seen in my career as a woman. For me, my experience wasn’t one of perceived limitation, but there were gender conceptions and stereotypes I had to look beyond – from my first pregnancy when it was implied that there had been assumptions in the partner group that my drive was synonymous with a desire to not have children. The extent of the surprise when I started a family, took me aback but mostly, I would say I have taken a path where women were championed.
The Canadian Credit Union System has been championing women since the 60’s when we were the first Financial Institutions to lend to women in their own names, we hold more women in leadership positions and experience women on Boards than in many other industries. But that doesn’t make it easy. Today we work and practice to build inclusive workplaces, but yet still barriers to truly gender inclusive work exist. I have had life partners that took equal share in parenting, but for many that isn’t the case. Today the Blue Collar work environment – is just as much a barrier for the lack of equality in parenting as are the societal stereotypes that assume women are at the center of parenting. Travel, job sites, sick day policies, are only a few of the many barriers that affect the opportunities for women.
But there has been change and continues to be change – the same girls I grew up with are empowered women, teaching their girls to ride snowmobiles and dirt bikes, giving them hockey skates or figure skates – their choice. Teachers are championing Leadership Programs all over our schools and these programs are filled with girls. Dads are stepping up as parents and role models in their families, in ways that help women step out, and their girls step up. And today we are celebrating Women. We have come so far but have still so far to go.
On IWD, how can you be bold for continued change?
Alison Hoskins
CEO of Integris Credit Union
