SMASHING THE PATRIARCHY AT CURIOUS MINDS WEEKEND

Kristyn Wong-Tam, Jen Agg, and Emma Phillips at Curious Minds

FERNTV was looking forward to the Smashing the Patriarchy panel on opening night during the Curious Minds weekend in Toronto. Sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace has been on the current radar as of late especially with the recent fall of Harvey Weinstein and the rise of a several woman’s movements such as #MeToo.  Globe and Mail’s Elizabeth Renzetti lead the discussion with restauranteur Jen Agg, city councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and leading labour lawyer Emma Phillips.  There is much admiration for the ongoing everyday fight that these women have to go through in order to survive and stand prominent in the system and in their respective industries.   Once this discussion got under way, their common goals were at the forefront even though they’re all not cut from the same cloth.  Despite these differences, all women from all walks of life have to work together in order to “smash” the patriarchy.  But as Jen Agg mentioned, there is much work to do if there needs to be a major overhaul.

Out of the three, it seems that Kristyn Wong-Tam has climbed her uphill battle every second of her life in Toronto politics.  She has been involved in this industry ever since Rob Ford was in power and now with John Tory.  As she explained to the audience at the Hot Docs Cinema in Toronto, she has been through much abuse about being a married lesbian in politics throughout these two regimes.  What is inspiring to many women is that she still wakes up every morning and continues that fight for relevance for herself and her wife without having the need to blow any whistles.  That being not the style of Kristyn but she explains into further detail that it is necessary to look outside the box when it comes to the treatment of marginalized people before pointing fingers.  She explains that we all need each other in order to move forward and address global issues such as sexual harassment and violence.  We really admire the articulate approach of Kristyn Wong-Tam because it curates more communication and participation.

Not only listening to labour lawyer Emma Phillips discuss her fight against patriarchy in the law industry but observing the way she carries herself during the panel tells you so much about this magnificent lady.  Emma Phillips was very calm and collective throughout the panel and it seems that most of her biggest challenges and obstacles in the industry is now behind her.  Not that she has nothing to fight for at the present time but she has opened many doors for herself that nobody before her has been able to do.  Hence, Emma Phillips is a true pioneer in paving the way for women to be prominent in Toronto law.  What was once dominated by males is now a sphere where many women are playing a larger role.  The future looks bright for women in the law industry and Emma Phillips has certainly won all those little battles which is why she became part of this interesting panel at Curious Minds.

The most outspoken of the three is none other than restauranteur Jen Agg who had a more realistic yet pessimistic point of view of the ways things are.  She mentions that the system should be blown up in order for women to gain the necessary equal rights and to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.  What seems to be archaic is the actual strategy that may bring results to the everyday fight that these women have to bring themselves to.  Throughout the course of the discussion, Jen Agg seemed crass and carried on this “I don’t give a fuck attitude” in terms of what she said and how she conducted herself.  This type of strategy has in fact made Jen Agg successful in the restaurant industry in Toronto as well as being a pioneering feminist.  As she admits “…not everyone likes me,” but there is no doubt that she has got the job done in many respects in being one of the top entrepreneurs in the country.

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