New podcast tells how women, gender-diverse Islanders are 'breaking the bias' on P.E.I.

A new podcast series is celebrating how women and gender-diverse folks on P.E.I. are challenging the status quo on the Island.

The four-episode podcast titled Break the Bias is produced by the P.E.I. Council on the Status of Women and will be released on International Women's Day this year, March 8.

"We have found eight exceptional women on P.E.I. And that's just the tip of the iceberg that we wanted to talk to about their experiences, their thoughts, projects they're working on, ways that they're breaking the bias in their lives," said Michelle Jay, program co-ordinator with the council.

"And also, I think the plus side of this podcast recording series is that we have these voices preserved."

Preserve stories less often told for the future

In one episode, Linda Hennessey, a descendant of the first Black Islanders, speaks with Millie Langston, a BIPOC activist and student who co-founded Camp Furaha, a day camp for Islanders identifying as girls who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour.

Hennessey has spent decades looking up articles, researching books and digging into provincial archives to delve into her family's history and the stories of other Black descendants on the Island.

In February, about 20 binders of information that organize and preserve what she's found were passed on to the society.

Jay said having Hennessey's story on the podcast is of great historical importance because one of the program's goals is to preserve stories for future generations to listen to.

"That's really significant. And we have eight people this year that we can add to that roster of voices and experiences that we'll have to preserve and listen to anytime."

But the podcast isn't only about celebrating women's achievements. It also touches on issues like gender-based violence.

Oftentimes, when we talk about women's issues or women's movements, we tend to paint things with a singular brush.— Sweta Daboo

Cathy Rose, the council's chairperson, said more women and girls are being impacted by violence.

"That's happening, partly because of the pandemic, that gender-based violence is certainly increasing. People are at home. They're not able to access the resources and supports that they normally would access," said Rose.

"I really believe that more awareness is needed and that this podcast certainly will help with that."

'Doesn't have to mean just one thing'

Sweta Daboo, executive director of the P.E.I. Coalition for Women in Government and a collaborator on the podcast, said gender-based violence is even more serious for trans women and non-binary people.

That's why one episode will bring up the topic of trans identities.

"We know that increasingly so trans women are at a higher risk of violence. They're at a higher risk of discrimination in society. So we really want to educate people on these issues," said Daboo.

The podcasts episodes don't share a common theme, which shows how diverse women's issues are, she said.

"Oftentimes, when we talk about women's issues or women's movements, we tend to paint things with a singular brush. But here, we got to expect to experience a diversity of experiences, a diversity of thoughts, struggles and accomplishments," she said.

"These are all incredible women who are working really hard to break the bias in their own way. And we want to encourage people to see that breaking the bias doesn't have to mean just one thing."

The podcast is out March 8. Find it wherever you find your podcasts by searching Break the Bias or on the website of the P.E.I. Advisory Council on the Status of Women.