Local attends Daughters of the Vote
By Adelle Ellis, Times Reporter
Photo Courtesy of Sabrina Kooistra
Local 19-year-old Sabrina Kooistra spent March 31 to April 5 in Ottawa, joining 338 other dynamic and diverse young women delegates to participate in panels and a mock Parliament session, and to learn more about the government and current challenges facing women in government and across Canada.
“There were some MP’s who came and spoke with us, women who are sort of trailblazing – especially in the conservative party,” said Kooistra, who attended several panels all run by women in government, such as a municipal politician panel, journalist panel, senator panel and MP panel, along with attending workshops on allyship called anti-oppression training. According to the Anti-Oppression Network, allyship is “an active, consistent, and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group.”
The Daughters of the Vote is a yearly program that gives one young woman in every federal riding, between the ages of 18 to 23, a chance to apply to participate in the political leadership program with other diverse delegates, to learn more about what is currently happening in the government and to be mentored by their local MP and other women in government.
Kooistra said she was both interested and enraged at the knowledge that not only do women still face oppression today, both in government and everyday life, but that marginalized groups such as LGBTQ2+ members and women in different equity groups also face subsequent levels of oppression, and that native women face the highest numbers of racism and oppression.
“It was interesting to learn that white feminism experience is not all feminism experience, just sort of understanding what it means to stand behind these women and support them,” said Kooistra, who added that she has learned about allyship and that she needs to share her privilege by “pass(ing) the mic to women who are marginalized and make sure they are at the table.”
Kooistra, who in the past has attended the similar Forum for Young Canadians, has worked on the Strathmore Assembly of Youth and has aided in building the local disc golf course, has found her passion for making a difference in her community reignited following the program and hopes to take what she has learned and apply it at home.
“What was really interesting to me was we were in the House of Commons, we were in the Senate, we were in Ottawa, but I found myself looking home … thinking we’re dealing with equally important issues at home,” said Kooistra.
“I was constantly trying to figure out what’s at home that needs to be addressed and how can I fit into that, especially with the knowledge that I’ve gained from allyship and how I can address that.”
Kooistra also took the opportunity to listen to all party leaders speak and found it especially important to learn what it means to be associating with each party, especially with both a provincial and federal election on the bill for this year.
“Looking at really being serious about who is the best for this role and really thinking we need the right people for the job; and taking voting seriously by firstly voting and being informed and even trying to figure out what my political ideology is as well,” said Kooistra, who added this will be her first time voting in both the provincial and federal elections.
“I just want to give props to our MP Martin Shields, he was absolutely fantastic in Ottawa and I know he is fantastic here as well. There were lots of opportunities to meet with us and I felt every opportunity that there was to engage with the MPs, Martin Shields was there and going above and beyond to be supportive to me,” said Kooistra. She said Shields watched the mock parliament session with them, introduced her to many Conservatives so she could shake their hands, and took her on tours.
Kooistra is currently attending the University of Calgary studying communications and has previously studied some international relations. She said she has thought about working in politics, although she does not yet know in what capacity. She will be taking a gap year in her education next year to consider her options before continuing her schooling the following fall, when she hopes to finish her degree before potentially entering any type of politics. She will be helping campaign for Shields in the upcoming federal election.
“Really it’s a lot of general things that I’ve taken away, I thought going through those allyship conversations was one of those things I think is a pretty universal skill, especially as Canadians as we are striving for equity amongst the Canadian population,” said Kooistra.
“I’m really trying to figure out how I can be a part of my community and how I can better my community and surrounding communities.”