Torch - Spring/Summer 2019

understand all of the possibilities embedded in the question and feel empowered to act on their vision. But what exactly do we mean by empowerment? And why do we need to be intentional in our approach? Here is one answer to the second question, looking only at a single area: political participation and leadership. UN Women 1 tells us that women make up 24 per cent of all national parliamentarians and 12 per cent of the world’s heads of state and government. For the Americas in particular, women constitute 30 per cent of parliamentarians. Here in Canada, only 27 per cent of elected Members of Parliament are women. Why does this matter so much? Because there is established evidence that women’s equal participation in political decision-making processes improves them. And because studies show that women demonstrate strong leadership by working across party lines, even in the most politically combative environments, on issues such as gender equality, parental leave and electoral reform. And, of course, because women make up half the world’s population. That’s just a glimpse into one arena. As you know, there are many other examples of gender inequity: representation of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, in C-level management, on boards of TSX-listed companies, behind cameras, before orchestras and so on. We are intentional in our approach because women continue to be under-represented in economic and political decision-making, face

barriers to equal participation in society and earn less than men for the same work. For that to improve, our students—the women of tomorrow—must see themselves as agents of change. And for that to happen, they need stronger voices and greater choices. What about empowerment itself—what does the term mean in relation to girls and women? The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offers a useful model with three parts. 2 Power to: the ability to make decisions and act on them; Power within: a sense of self-esteem, dignity and self-worth; and Power with: strength gained from solidarity, collective action or mutual support. In short, an empowered girl has authority and confidence and she understands that she is a part of a community. Havergal College was founded on the principle of building these attributes—first, by insisting that girls deserve an exceptional education, and thereafter by asking, “What will you do?” Empowering our students begins with a fundamental premise: children and adolescents are capable. They have agency and can take action, beginning with making their own decisions. This is the “power to” part of the equation, so we ensure that our students have and make meaningful choices at every grade. For example, our youngest students in Junior Kindergarten are asked to choose their activities for the first part of each day. There

Grade 6 students receive leadership pins at the beginning of each academic year to symbolize their leadership status at the Junior School.

1. UN Women. “Facts and figures. Leadership and political participation.” January 2019. www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/leadership-and-political-participation/facts-and-figures. 2. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “A conceptual model of women and girls’ empowerment.” February 2019. https://docs.gatesfoundation.org/Documents/BMGF_EmpowermentModel.pdf.

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SPRING/SUMMER 2019 • TORCH 13