Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hello! My name is Sarah and I am a feminist social worker who loves to ride my bike, cross-stitch gifts for my friends, read, write, camp and hike. I have just come back from working with a girls’ organisation in the UK and am so happy to be back in Calgary, where I was born and raised.
What is your personal definition of feminism?
My personal definition is always shifting, but I think feminism is a way of being in the world and organizing for change that recognizes the intersections of different experiences and identities. I believe that it challenges us to uplift and value the important and often unpaid labour that has been done by women and femmes for centuries. It also requires that we work to dismantle patriarchy, colonization and all forms of oppression so that everyone can participate equally in our communities with all the care and support that they need, regardless of gender.
What brought you to the Women’s Centre of Calgary?
You might be feeling a sense of deja-vu . . . because so am I! I originally came to the Women’s Centre as a social work student in 2011 because of my interest in community organizing. I ended up staying and working on a variety of different projects until the summer of 2018, when I left to explore new challenges! I came back because I love the way the Women’s Centre practices feminist leadership and creates space for people to meet their basic needs, participate in community and work to change the issues that affect them.
What’s the one thing you hope to learn at the Women’s Centre?
I always learn SO much from the women and girls who are part of this community, whether it’s about writing a strong advocacy letter, or making a DIY chemical-free drain de-clogger! I am particularly curious now about how we can come together to rebuild community and find joy together after Covid-19 has impacted us all so deeply.
Describe a woman who you admire or who has influenced your life?
There are so many, especially because I have spent so much of my life at the Women’s Centre! But right now I will pick all the women in my friendship circles. They are all working to change the world in their own areas of passion – from environment to transformative justice to health care – and I am really grateful to be able to share my life with and learn from them.
Welcome back.