'I don't want to be … 80 before parity is achieved': Future 40 finalist works to level the political field
Last round of finalists includes founders of Equal Voice Manitoba and Bell Tower Café, Olympian Desiree Scott
This story was originally published Nov. 22, 2018.
This week, CBC Manitoba has been introducing you to our Future 40 finalists — 40 bright young minds and influential change-makers under the age of 40 who are working to make this province better for future generations.
Today, we introduce you to our last 10 finalists.
You can also tune in to hear interviews with some of the finalists on CBC's Information Radio, Radio Noon and Up to Speed, and see some of them on CBC TV's Winnipeg News at 6 p.m.
Meet the fourth round of CBC Manitoba Future 40 finalists:
Delaney Coelho
Age: 30
Category: Community activism and public affairs
Delaney Coelho would be very happy to shut down the Manitoba organization she founded.
But for now, she says, there's a distinct need for Equal Voice Manitoba. It's the provincial chapter of a multi-partisan national network focused on supporting the participation of women in politics.
"There's a study out there … that says if things continue to go as they are, it's going to be another 50 years before we see anything remotely close to [gender] parity," in politics, Coelho said.
"I'm far too impatient for that. So the hope is that Equal Voice and organizations like Equal Voice can speed that up. I don't want to be 70 or 80 before parity is achieved."
To that end, Coelho, 30, founded Equal Voice Manitoba in 2016. It offers a range of programming for women interested in politics — either running as candidates themselves or working in roles such as campaign management. That includes full-day "campaign schools" that focus on tangible skills as well as networking.
The idea is to counter the under-representation of women in all levels of politics — something Coelho saw herself when she worked as a staffer for Manitoba's previous NDP government.
"In my experience, I'd often be … the only woman in the room, or be at events with ministers from across the country where there were no women or people of colour represented," said Coelho, who now works with Manitoba's Human Rights Commission.
It's completely unacceptable to have an environment where … 51 per cent of the population is made to feel that they don't belong.- Delaney Coelho
"It definitely feels isolating — like maybe your perspective isn't being presented or if it is [kind of the burden is on your shoulders to be the only one to speak for all women."
That's a problem, she says, when "obviously, women are pretty diverse in their perspectives and ideas, and if you're kind of the spokesperson for all women, that's maybe not the greatest fit."
Equal Voice, she says, also has a role to play in fighting the harassment of women in politics — many instances of which have come to light in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
"One of the things we've tried to do is create a community in Manitoba, and more broadly, where people can speak up about these situations that are happening, and bring them … to the forefront. They've always been happening and continue to happen, but they maybe haven't been talked about," she said.
"And then also just creating a greater conversation about how, as the electorate, we're just not going to accept that any more. It's completely unacceptable to have an environment where … 51 per cent of the population is made to feel that they don't belong."
There are some signs of progress. In the most recent Manitoba municipal elections, for example, the number of female elected officials grew three per cent over 2014. Nevertheless, women fill just one-fifth of roles in Manitoba's municipal governments.
"The political institution was created without thinking of women's participation, because women could not run at that time," Coelho said.
"So there needs to kind of be a change in the system, but also just around the general conversation."
That can take time — but she hopes Equal Voice will help spur those conversations and speed the progress.
"Ideally, in five to 10 years, I would love to be able to dissolve Equal Voice because our mandate has been achieved," she said.
"But political institutions have been … male-dominated for a long time and they're slow to change, so it's obviously important that we stick around and kind of push to speed change up a little bit."
Future 40 finalist biographies and photos below were submitted by nominators. Biographies have been edited for length.
Melinda Fowler-Woods
Age: 39
Category: Health, sports and wellness
Melinda Fowler-Woods, a Métis-Mi'kmaq woman who grew up on Canada's East Coast, is the director of Ongomiizwin education at the University of Manitoba's Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing.
She received her bachelor of nursing and then her doctor of chiropractic degrees, and finally her medical degree and family medicine residency when studying at McMaster University. Now, she holds multiple appointments on boards, such as the U of M's department of community health sciences and the department of family medicine, and is active in clinical teaching at the Mount Carmel and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation clinics.
Dr. Fowler-Woods also enjoys surgical assisting and has hospital privileges across Winnipeg to allow her to help in the operating room.
She has also helped to organize and host a three-day "medical school entrance interview" workshop for Indigenous medical school applicants when she joined the University of Manitoba faculty in 2016.
Along with the support of the Ongomiizwin Institute of Health and Healing, Dr. Fowler-Woods plans to host this event annually as a tool for supporting and encouraging Indigenous students who are applying to medicine at the University of Manitoba so that they can be successful in their interviews, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of Indigenous medical students.
Currently, she is in her fourth year of traditional medicine studies.
Hema Krueger Vyas
Age: 29
Category: Community activism and public affairs
Hema Krueger Vyas is passionate about community activism and has been working in education for years.
At 21 she began working at a community health centre, teaching youth about sexual and mental health. She works throughout Manitoba teaching youth about consent, sexuality, mental health, and substance use with the Teen Talk program based out of Klinic Community Health and SERC (Sexuality Education Resource Centre).
Krueger Vyas is a co-ordinator for Red Tent, an organization that provides safer spaces education and physical safer spaces to several Manitoba festivals, venues, and organizations. She has worked with other co-ordinators to create safer spaces and training that uses a trauma-informed and decolonizing lens.
She is instrumental in helping Manitobans have safer and sexier spaces.
Saroj Niraula
Age: 40
Category: Science and technology
A medical oncologist originally from Nepal, Dr. Niraula's potential was recognized with an International Development and Education Award a few years ago from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the largest organization of cancer physicians globally, offering him the opportunity to spend time in a cancer centre in San Francisco.
This led him to recognize the unfortunate global cancer health disparity — whereas in Nepal, many people were dying due to lack of the basics of cancer care, millions of dollars were spent in low-value health care in North America.
He decided to equip himself with advanced training in cancer research, examine strategies to minimize the harms and maximize the value of cancer treatments, and play a role in improving access and outcomes for cancer patients globally.
Currently, Dr. Niraula serves Manitoban cancer patients as a practising medical oncologist with a focus in breast cancer treatment and as a scientist at CancerCare Manitoba and the University of Manitoba. He holds major leadership roles, including chairing the committee responsible for review and approval of new cancer drugs in Manitoba.
He has volunteered as a virtual mentor to cancer doctors from low- and middle-income countries, and serves in ASCO's international wing as a member of the IDEA awards selection committee, which funds about 25 young oncologists annually from resource-deprived countries. His research articles and opinions appear frequently in international medical journals.
Davide Novo
Age: 36
Category: Community activism and public affairs
Davide Novo moved to northern Manitoba 10 years ago. He is a Red Seal-certified automotive technician who has been managing a successful service department for a local dealership. He has strong leadership qualities and is well respected within the community. He uses his voice to advocate for those who aren't always heard.
Just over a year ago, Novo decided to join The Pas Families Building a Better Community Inc. as president. This not-for-profit charitable organization was established to provide barrier-free recreation for the community.
Within a year, he successfully convinced the municipal government to agree to maintain and operate a spray park. As well as securing funds to pay for the project through grants and fundraising, he has spent countless hours over the past few months managing this project and now his dedication has paid off with the first phase completed.
His commitment and motivation has not gone unnoticed. He is shaping the future of our community's health and well-being.
Meaghan Pauls
Age: 32
Category: Community activism and public affairs
Meaghan Pauls strives to create a community that is loving, accepting and one that creates space for otherness and difference.
Five years ago, she founded the Bell Tower Community Café. She describes the café as an urban food bank wrapped in a community café. By combining a food bank with a coffee house, she has helped create the most human food bank experience possible.
Every second Friday at Westminster United Church, Pauls and a team of volunteers provide a hot meal and live music for upwards of 150 people. Some come to receive a food hamper, and others come for a shared meal. To Pauls, the café is a way to tackle the issue of food and hunger within an open and welcoming environment.
In addition to running the Bell Tower Community Café, she also volunteers at Madison House, St. Benedict's Church and on the board for the housing co-op through All Saints Church, and is a successful professional designer.
Desiree Scott
Age: 31
Category: Health, sports and wellness
Winnipeg-born Desiree Scott is well known as one of the most decorated Canadian soccer players of her generation.
She played for multiple youth Canadian national teams before coming to the University of Manitoba to play as a member of the Bison women's soccer team, having an illustrious five-year university career (2005-2009). She proved her fierce determination as a midfield asset and earned the nickname "The Destroyer."
In 2010, Scott was named to the Canadian women's soccer national team and since then has appeared in 135 international matches. She has demonstrated her outstanding skills, earning back-to-back Olympic bronze medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics. She has also attained the highest level of women's professional soccer playing for various international clubs.
An outstanding ambassador of our city, province and country, she has been an athlete ambassador for the Homeless World Cup and KidSport Winnipeg for several years and also makes frequent visits to clubs, schools, and other sports organizations.
Additionally, she has taken several volunteer assistant coach positions for the clubs and teams she was a part of growing up. She also served as the honorary chair of the 2017 U Sports women's soccer national championship, which was hosted by the University of Manitoba for the first time in our province since this prestigious tournament launched nearly three decades ago.
Simryn Singh
Age: 17
Category: Community activism and public affairs
Simryn Singh is a 17-year-old powerhouse working for the betterment of the community in Winnipeg. She has volunteered for Agape Table, Winnipeg Harvest and RaY Inc.
She started her own charity — Langar Seva Winnipeg — feeding over 800 people since its inception.
Her latest endeavour has been to raise awareness about gender-based violence through a fundraiser on Nov. 9. She was the 2018 recipient of the United Way Community Builder Award.
Samyra Stuart-Altman
Age: 31
Category: Community activism and social affairs
Dr. Samyra Stuart-Altman is a passionate, dedicated, strong, talented and giving woman who was honoured with the Manitoba Veterinarian of the Year Award last year. She is committed to the health of all animals and is constantly making a positive impact in Manitoba. She loves her work and it shows in her dedication and devotion to the communities in Manitoba.
Stuart-Altman participates in various vet volunteer work throughout Manitoba, such as the Save a Dog Network, Community Vet Outreach and the CARE Cat Community Outreach Program. She has also donated her time to the Hudson Bay Quest, where she monitored the health of sled dogs in Churchill.
She is involved in countless spay and neuter clinics throughout Manitoba. This involves travelling to places such as Thompson and York Landing to perform these surgeries on her days off. She also volunteers her time to the Winnipeg Humane Society, where she is on the board.
She is a talented artist, and her skills shine in the animal portraits she sketches for clients and friends. She has donated her art as silent auction prizes to various rescues and the Winnipeg Humane Society.
Jolene Wilson
Age: 40
Category: Education and training
Jolene Wilson has come out of 15 years of being homeless to team up with West Central Women's Resource Centre to fight homelessness. She is a chairwoman of the First Voice committee, magnifying lived experience voices and is the community connector at WCWRC.
Wilson is working diligently on a gender-based strategy to end homelessness as a part of the 10-year plan for our great city. This strategy is called Connecting the Circle and looks at homelessness through the eyes of women, transgender and two-spirit people who have experienced unique paths to homelessness. The strategy is well on its way and should be launched in 2019.
She has been nominated as one of 150 women leaders for her hard work by Status of Women Canada and saved WCWRC's Indigenous programming by stepping up when funding was lost.
She also runs a full moon ceremony on her own time for her community women, and never says no to an opportunity to help Winnipeg's most vulnerable in anyway she can.
With files from Joff Schmidt.