The pandemic has hit women hard and
many of us are tired. Women are more likely to work in precarious and frontline jobs in deeply impacted sectors like retail, hospital- ity, education and health care. While some have struggled with being laid off or having reduced hours, others are working to their breaking points. Domestic abuse has risen significantly and stay at home orders make options to leave or get help harder to access. The vast majority of women are struggling with the burden of the double day, with no way to get help or relief with household tasks or with raising their children. During shutdowns, kids have nowhere to go and most often the burden of care falls to wom- en, sometimes while they work full time from home themselves. This has been the situation for a very large number of ETFO members this year – a feminist crisis largely ignored in mainstream discourse. As educators, we have witnessed what
happens when children and families lack access to necessary supports. We see what happens when families are facing eviction and being unhoused, when families can’t af- ford internet, when children struggle with learning in isolation, when basic nutritional needs can’t be met and when there are men- tal health crises in the home. These crises are even more dire this year, and we are now supporting children who have lost their caregivers to illness and hospitalization. We have to find a way forward together
and we need to work to elect a government that values the collective well-being of all its citizens and prioritizes the public services and social safety nets we rely on.
MOVING FORWARD
With this difficult year in mind, and with the exhaustion I know all of us are feeling, I hope that organizing together for the change we need for ourselves, our students and our communities will bring renewed energy and hope. Massive engagement from educators, especially women, in the upcoming election could seriously influence the outcome and, in doing so, change policies in Ontario to benefit women and the marginalized com- munities who are struggling the most. In the last three years we have proven
we can mobilize, organize and fight this government’s attacks on education. We have built strong alliances with community members, parents, scientists, other educator unions and so many others. Together, we successfully fought the Ford government’s regressive policies and, during the pandem-
ic, we’ve forced them to increase funding and health and safety measures. We know that organizing works and that we are good at it. The Conservatives have made us fight for what we need at every turn, showing their inherent disrespect for educators and public education. The provincial election is our opportunity to get rid of them once and for all, but we will all need to get politically engaged and active.
GETTING ACTIVE
Political engagement can happen on a spec- trum. It can involve simply paying attention to the news and election issues to actually running for office…and everything in be- tween. Attending political events, rallies and actions, talking to friends and neighbours about education and other issues, watch- ing, attending or even organizing local de- bates are all great ways to be involved. You can also get active on social media around issues of concern, connect with like-minded community groups and join with them in their advocacy. Take part in your ETFO lo- cal’s election activities/campaigns/leafleting, volunteer on a candidate’s political cam- paign for MPP, sign a petition or send a letter through
BuildingBetterSchools.ca. There are so many ways to get active! Your entry point for deepening your own
engagement can be wherever you’re at. If you’re brand new to provincial politics, start with paying attention. Learn about the issues you care most about and consider how the party platforms (once released) fit with your concerns and what the Ford government has done since they came into office. From there, find others (organizations or individuals) who care about the same things you do and get active and connected. The Ontario Fed- eration of Labour’s website is a great place to get information on political issues and cam- paigns that benefit workers and marginal- ized communities. Make sure you are signed up to the ETFO enewsletter at
etfo.ca and are registered at
BuildingBetterSchools.ca to stay connected with the provincial campaign and provincial opportunities. Make a commitment to equity and anti-
oppression as you become more engaged. This means centring the voices and perspec- tives of those most impacted by the issues in your organizing including Black, Indigne- ous, and racialized people, people living with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ+ communities and people facing multiple layers of discrimina- tion and oppression. These groups need to be centred in the policy changes ahead.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 11
“WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY FORWARD TOGETHER AND WE NEED TO WORK TO ELECT A GOVERNMENT THAT VALUES THE COLLECTIVE WELL-BEING OF ALL ITS CITIZENS AND PRIORITIZES THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND SOCIAL SAFETY NETS WE RELY ON.”
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