thoughts on a feminist future
EQUALITY OF POWER: SOLUTIONS TO THE UNFAIR TREATMENT OF WOMEN
At the invitation of the Toronto Reference Library, I presented a lecture series on Equality as part of its Civil Society series, which gave me the opportunity to share and discuss some long-percolating ideas. I focused on the theme of Equality of Power, because I concluded that this is the solution to the unfair treatment of women.
Each lecture focused on a different subject within the main theme.
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Violence against Women as a Tool of Control
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Empowering Women at Work
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Challenging the Centres of Power.
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Lecture One: VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AS A TOOL OF CONTROL
In this lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff describes how women have been kept subservient and dependent through history by the use of violence as a tool of control. She shows just how intransigent that abuse has been, and makes powerful suggestions for improvements to the Canadian legal system to ensure that violence against women is challenged and stopped. (September 25, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
Lecture Two: EMPOWERING WOMEN AT WORK
In this second lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff exposes the inequality women face in the paid labour force, including: unequal pay, inadequate child care supports, sexual harassment, as well as an inability to break through the employment glass ceiling. She proposes solutions such as quotas, pay transparency, protection of precarious workers, employment equity, a national affordable child care plan, and more. (October 23, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
Lecture Three: CHALLENGING THE CENTRES OF POWER
In this third lecture, Linda Silver Dranoff describes how to challenge the centres of power and reshape them towards equality for women. She focusses on the need to change the electoral system to allow everyone’s and particularly feminist voices to be heard. Her focus is proportional representation, and the need for women in leadership positions in politics and corporations. She proposes a national women’s organization to be one voice for women in Canada. (November 20, 2018 at the Toronto Reference Library. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
SUSTAINING #MeToo: What's Next on the Feminist Legal Agenda
Linda Silver Dranoff covers ways to support the #Me Too movement. Included on her list is the training of police, lawyers and judges, specialized courts, separate legal counsel for victims, prevention through pro-active imprisonment, stronger gun controls, criminal laws to stop online abuse, reclassifying sexual harassment as a crime, along with increased funding for shelters and support services for women. (April 28, 2019 at Ryerson University Chang School. Video credit Norman Kolasky.)
Harvey Brownstone Interviews Linda Silver Dranoff
On March 7, 2021, I was interviewed beautifully by retired judge Harvey Brownstone in the early days of his now historic interview series. He calls Fairly Equal a “must-read.”
Women’s History Project, 1000 Voices, 1000 Stories series
I was interviewed on April 25, 2024 for the new Women’s History Project, 1000 Voices, 1000 Stories series and helped fill in for interviewer and WHP founder Debra Davis the history of my times and activism. It can be seen at:
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https://womenshistoryproject.substack.com/p/1000-voices-1000-stories-episode-56f
“A President and Protest come to Hart House” at Old School Stories Ep. 2
The University of Toronto decided to remember the history of the exclusion of women at Hart House, by the preparation of a video. I was brought back to Hart House to relive the time I protested that women were prohibited from attending a Hart House debate between John F. Kennedy and Stephen Lewis.
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It can be seen at “A President and Protest come to Hart House” at Old School Stories Ep. 2
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WEAVING WISDOM: Imagining the Future of Feminism
On September 10, 2019, I spoke at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Hart House at the University of Toronto. Here is the link to the program as it happened: https://harthouse.ca/events/future-of-feminism#main