Read: 2min

My name is Mau Juneau (Il/Iel), I am 28 years old, and I am a social media strategist for YWCA Québec, as well as Lead Coordinator for Toustes Doux. 

For me, leadership has always been associated with my community involvement. By getting involved in student committees and volunteering, I was able to acquire skills and self-confidence that later allowed me to start my own initiatives. 

At the beginning of my career, I didn’t really express my ideas within my involvements. Step by ttep, inspired by models of positive leadership around me, I began to take on more and more responsibilities, then occupy coordination roles. Today, I am far from the person I was at 18: not only am I able to express and promote my ideas, but I am also able to coordinate projects and build my own place in the non-profit sector, which has always fascinated me. 

The advice I would like to offer to young leaders in Canada is as follows: 

1. Dare to invest in projects that you are passionate about, even if you do not feel up to it. Each challenge will make the leader in you grow.
2. Observe the leaders around you. By observing their leadership style, you can learn more about what you would like to become, or what you would like to avoid becoming. For example, for me, I was inspired by people who are both gentle and assertive.
3. Believe in your ideas! Your brain and personality are unique, and each person has their own ideas.

For me, Gender Equality Week means several things. First, it is an opportunity to remember that the work is not done. Indeed, not only do women still experience inequality, but they also experience inequality among themselves: poverty and housing insecurity disproportionately affects racialized peoples, trans peoples, and women with disabilities. 

This is also a good opportunity to reflect on the place of nonbinary people in the discussion of gender inequality. People of non-conforming gender identities and expressions experience the same types of barriers as women when it comes to many issues, such as access to employment or sexual violence. Although the Government of Canada continues to call this week in French semaine de l’égalité des sexes, the title semaine de l’égalité des genres is more representative. 

To move forward, the gender equality movement must continue to integrate intersectionality into its discussions and concerns. 

Because until we are all free, the fight is not over!