susan b anthony once said there will never be complete equality until women
never be complete equality until women
never be complete equality until women themselves held make laws and elect
themselves held make laws and elect
themselves held make laws and elect lawmakers my name is Brenda Rousseau D
lawmakers my name is Brenda Rousseau D
lawmakers my name is Brenda Rousseau D and I was the first South Asian woman
and I was the first South Asian woman
and I was the first South Asian woman elected to Surry City Council in 2014 I
elected to Surry City Council in 2014 I
elected to Surry City Council in 2014 I ran for mayor and I lost I’m going to
ran for mayor and I lost I’m going to
ran for mayor and I lost I’m going to share the story of my journey and my
share the story of my journey and my
share the story of my journey and my journey as a South Asian woman it’s
journey as a South Asian woman it’s
journey as a South Asian woman it’s interesting because I’ve always defined
interesting because I’ve always defined
interesting because I’ve always defined myself as Canadian but what I learned in
myself as Canadian but what I learned in
myself as Canadian but what I learned in the 2014 campaign was that gender race
the 2014 campaign was that gender race
the 2014 campaign was that gender race patriarchy and populism played a very
patriarchy and populism played a very
patriarchy and populism played a very big role and is one of the reason we
big role and is one of the reason we
big role and is one of the reason we don’t have more South Asian women
don’t have more South Asian women
don’t have more South Asian women seeking office in my journey I learned
seeking office in my journey I learned
seeking office in my journey I learned that we have come a long way but we have
that we have come a long way but we have
that we have come a long way but we have a long way to go
a long way to go
a long way to go in the South Asian community gender bias
in the South Asian community gender bias
in the South Asian community gender bias starts at birth the birth of men and
starts at birth the birth of men and
starts at birth the birth of men and boys is celebrated and the birth of
boys is celebrated and the birth of
boys is celebrated and the birth of girls is often warned it’s not to say
girls is often warned it’s not to say
girls is often warned it’s not to say that we haven’t made progress I know
that we haven’t made progress I know
that we haven’t made progress I know that men in the South Asian community
that men in the South Asian community
that men in the South Asian community are also not comfortable with the
are also not comfortable with the
are also not comfortable with the cultural expectations that are thrust
cultural expectations that are thrust
cultural expectations that are thrust upon them and as we move forward we need
upon them and as we move forward we need
upon them and as we move forward we need to do that together after the election I
to do that together after the election I
to do that together after the election I was invited to a school to speak a young
was invited to a school to speak a young
was invited to a school to speak a young woman ran up to me and gave me a big hug
woman ran up to me and gave me a big hug
woman ran up to me and gave me a big hug and she said I desperately tried to get
and she said I desperately tried to get
and she said I desperately tried to get my dad to vote for you and he said no
my dad to vote for you and he said no
my dad to vote for you and he said no she’s divorced in that moment I felt
she’s divorced in that moment I felt
she’s divorced in that moment I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach I
like I had been kicked in the stomach I
like I had been kicked in the stomach I felt trapped and I felt vulnerable but
felt trapped and I felt vulnerable but
felt trapped and I felt vulnerable but at the same time something inside of me
at the same time something inside of me
at the same time something inside of me said whoa this wasn’t about your ability
said whoa this wasn’t about your ability
said whoa this wasn’t about your ability your skills or your qualification this
your skills or your qualification this
your skills or your qualification this was about your gender and your ethnicity
I left my marriage after 23 years nobody
I left my marriage after 23 years nobody cared for my reasons for leaving or who
cared for my reasons for leaving or who
cared for my reasons for leaving or who I was what it became was a story that I
I was what it became was a story that I
I was what it became was a story that I was a disrespectful woman and I had
was a disrespectful woman and I had
was a disrespectful woman and I had dishonored my family but nobody had
dishonored my family but nobody had
dishonored my family but nobody had talked to my family about my decision
talked to my family about my decision
talked to my family about my decision divorce is still considered a taboo and
divorce is still considered a taboo and
divorce is still considered a taboo and sadly in some cultures divorce is a
sadly in some cultures divorce is a
sadly in some cultures divorce is a taboo but in the name of Honor they
taboo but in the name of Honor they
taboo but in the name of Honor they murdered those they’re supposed to love
murdered those they’re supposed to love
murdered those they’re supposed to love and protect the United Nations estimates
and protect the United Nations estimates
and protect the United Nations estimates that over 5,000 women are killed each
that over 5,000 women are killed each
that over 5,000 women are killed each year in the name of protecting family
year in the name of protecting family
year in the name of protecting family honour they are stabbed they are burned
honour they are stabbed they are burned
honour they are stabbed they are burned they’re buried alive in the announcement
they’re buried alive in the announcement
they’re buried alive in the announcement for me running for mayor it was very
for me running for mayor it was very
for me running for mayor it was very interesting that I was seen as the
interesting that I was seen as the
interesting that I was seen as the front-runner because there are more sort
front-runner because there are more sort
front-runner because there are more sort South Asians in Surrey than any city
South Asians in Surrey than any city
South Asians in Surrey than any city outside of India and I quickly realized
outside of India and I quickly realized
outside of India and I quickly realized that it came to a complete shock to
that it came to a complete shock to
that it came to a complete shock to people that I was trailing so badly in
people that I was trailing so badly in
people that I was trailing so badly in the lead-up to my announcement a very
the lead-up to my announcement a very
the lead-up to my announcement a very tragic events happened in the community
tragic events happened in the community
tragic events happened in the community a temple leader be his elderly wife to
a temple leader be his elderly wife to
a temple leader be his elderly wife to death I was called by the media to
death I was called by the media to
death I was called by the media to comment but my campaign team cautioned
comment but my campaign team cautioned
comment but my campaign team cautioned me against commenting because men in the
me against commenting because men in the
me against commenting because men in the community would be offended and they had
community would be offended and they had
community would be offended and they had the power to sway thousands of votes
the power to sway thousands of votes
the power to sway thousands of votes thousands sad reality is they do have
thousands sad reality is they do have
thousands sad reality is they do have the power in the political process they
the power in the political process they
the power in the political process they have the power to either elevate you in
have the power to either elevate you in
have the power to either elevate you in a nomination or to knock you down they
a nomination or to knock you down they
a nomination or to knock you down they have the power to raise funds or break
have the power to raise funds or break
have the power to raise funds or break the licenses with potential fundraising
the licenses with potential fundraising
the licenses with potential fundraising partners in partisan politics they’re
partners in partisan politics they’re
partners in partisan politics they’re often the ones with the seat at the
often the ones with the seat at the
often the ones with the seat at the table that make a decision on who makes
table that make a decision on who makes
table that make a decision on who makes a qualified candidate well I did the
a qualified candidate well I did the
a qualified candidate well I did the interview anyways when I was elected I
interview anyways when I was elected I
interview anyways when I was elected I had decided that I
had decided that I
had decided that I voice and I needed to use that voice and
voice and I needed to use that voice and
voice and I needed to use that voice and so I created the Surrey coalition
so I created the Surrey coalition
so I created the Surrey coalition against domestic abuse and I helped
against domestic abuse and I helped
against domestic abuse and I helped start the Rakhi project the Rakhi
start the Rakhi project the Rakhi
start the Rakhi project the Rakhi project actually honors real values real
project actually honors real values real
project actually honors real values real siltation values of love and respect the
siltation values of love and respect the
siltation values of love and respect the stronger I got that thicker the glass
stronger I got that thicker the glass
stronger I got that thicker the glass ceiling got the more recognition I got
ceiling got the more recognition I got
ceiling got the more recognition I got from residents in the community the more
from residents in the community the more
from residents in the community the more media attention I got the more the
media attention I got the more the
media attention I got the more the backlash came I was a disruptive woman
now I look at where we go from here and
now I look at where we go from here and I look at how do we dismantle patriarchy
I look at how do we dismantle patriarchy
I look at how do we dismantle patriarchy and how do we make the conversation
and how do we make the conversation
and how do we make the conversation around ethnicity and gender not to be
around ethnicity and gender not to be
around ethnicity and gender not to be the leading dialogue when we decide who
the leading dialogue when we decide who
the leading dialogue when we decide who is good to represent us so I look at
is good to represent us so I look at
is good to represent us so I look at young people in the South Asian
young people in the South Asian
young people in the South Asian community and how hard they are fighting
community and how hard they are fighting
community and how hard they are fighting for the same battle that I am fighting
for the same battle that I am fighting
for the same battle that I am fighting with just to be a true Canadian at the
with just to be a true Canadian at the
with just to be a true Canadian at the doorstep we also heard many many times
doorstep we also heard many many times
doorstep we also heard many many times that I was too Brown for some people and
that I was too Brown for some people and
that I was too Brown for some people and too white for some in my community as I
too white for some in my community as I
too white for some in my community as I look at the young woman and think of the
look at the young woman and think of the
look at the young woman and think of the young woman as she interests her career
young woman as she interests her career
young woman as she interests her career I hope that she is able to understand
I hope that she is able to understand
I hope that she is able to understand that her true value will come from the
that her true value will come from the
that her true value will come from the commitment that she makes in honoring
commitment that she makes in honoring
commitment that she makes in honoring herself but how does she do that in a
herself but how does she do that in a
herself but how does she do that in a culture where at birth she is told she
culture where at birth she is told she
culture where at birth she is told she is not equal I’ll tell you how that
is not equal I’ll tell you how that
is not equal I’ll tell you how that happens that’ll happen in the home I
happens that’ll happen in the home I
happens that’ll happen in the home I have three children I teach my daughter
have three children I teach my daughter
have three children I teach my daughter that she is equal I teach her she is no
that she is equal I teach her she is no
that she is equal I teach her she is no less but no greater than anyone that she
less but no greater than anyone that she
less but no greater than anyone that she does not have to play by the rules of
does not have to play by the rules of
does not have to play by the rules of the game
the game
the game to be a part of the boys club I teach my
to be a part of the boys club I teach my
to be a part of the boys club I teach my son’s that they have a responsibility
son’s that they have a responsibility
son’s that they have a responsibility but let me tell you I feel the burden of
but let me tell you I feel the burden of
but let me tell you I feel the burden of the heaviness that I know that the
the heaviness that I know that the
the heaviness that I know that the cultural expert
cultural expert
cultural expert patience and norms that they have the
patience and norms that they have the
patience and norms that they have the freedom to be boys will be boys or men
freedom to be boys will be boys or men
freedom to be boys will be boys or men will be men and how that plays a role in
will be men and how that plays a role in
will be men and how that plays a role in shaping them on who they are and how
shaping them on who they are and how
shaping them on who they are and how they move forward in their future I
they move forward in their future I
they move forward in their future I think that all of us in this room as we
think that all of us in this room as we
think that all of us in this room as we move forward and we move forward to make
move forward and we move forward to make
move forward and we move forward to make sure that we are taking the political
sure that we are taking the political
sure that we are taking the political process not as something that is foreign
process not as something that is foreign
process not as something that is foreign to us but it’s something that we have
to us but it’s something that we have
to us but it’s something that we have impact on that we compel partisan
impact on that we compel partisan
impact on that we compel partisan politics to look at candidates based on
politics to look at candidates based on
politics to look at candidates based on all the things that we are seeing
all the things that we are seeing
all the things that we are seeing ourselves not based on them having the
ourselves not based on them having the
ourselves not based on them having the power to screen people out because of
power to screen people out because of
power to screen people out because of their gender and their ethnicity
their gender and their ethnicity
their gender and their ethnicity so that patriarchy doesn’t have the same
so that patriarchy doesn’t have the same
so that patriarchy doesn’t have the same control on domination processes and on
control on domination processes and on
control on domination processes and on fundraising processes because that is
fundraising processes because that is
fundraising processes because that is how we will ultimately affect change
how we will ultimately affect change
how we will ultimately affect change because susan b anthony was right that
because susan b anthony was right that
because susan b anthony was right that until we have more women who are part of
until we have more women who are part of
until we have more women who are part of those decisions nothing changes and I
those decisions nothing changes and I
those decisions nothing changes and I want to end I want to end with a quote
want to end I want to end with a quote
want to end I want to end with a quote that technology is not my friend
I’m ending my speech with a quote from a
I’m ending my speech with a quote from a map and many women or feminists may say
map and many women or feminists may say
map and many women or feminists may say in there there’s no room for men in this
in there there’s no room for men in this
in there there’s no room for men in this equation that there is an equal role for
equation that there is an equal role for
equation that there is an equal role for men in the suppression because until men
men in the suppression because until men
men in the suppression because until men step up and until men are prepared to
step up and until men are prepared to
step up and until men are prepared to put aside those barriers that create the
put aside those barriers that create the
put aside those barriers that create the glass ceilings for the double glass
glass ceilings for the double glass
glass ceilings for the double glass ceilings nothing will change and
ceilings nothing will change and
ceilings nothing will change and President Obama has said that we must
President Obama has said that we must
President Obama has said that we must carry forward the work of women who came
carry forward the work of women who came
carry forward the work of women who came before us and ensure our daughters have
before us and ensure our daughters have
before us and ensure our daughters have no limits to their dreams no obstacles
no limits to their dreams no obstacles
no limits to their dreams no obstacles to their achievements and no remaining
to their achievements and no remaining
to their achievements and no remaining ceilings to shatter for their success
ceilings to shatter for their success
ceilings to shatter for their success thank you very much and next time you
thank you very much and next time you
thank you very much and next time you cast the ballot cast the ballot looking
cast the ballot cast the ballot looking
cast the ballot cast the ballot looking at your candidate and making sure that
at your candidate and making sure that
at your candidate and making sure that we’re all evading more women to the
we’re all evading more women to the
we’re all evading more women to the position of making those types of
position of making those types of
position of making those types of decisions so that the future generations
decisions so that the future generations
decisions so that the future generations are actually have impactful change that
are actually have impactful change that
are actually have impactful change that won’t take a hundred years to make men
won’t take a hundred years to make men
won’t take a hundred years to make men and women people thank you
”
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