Carina Gabriele

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Degrees: Western University (BA '18, Hons. Specialization in Women’s Studies)

Current Position: Candidate, University of Toronto OISE, Master of Education, Education Policy

“After working for the USC, Carina continued her passion for advocacy by working as a staffer in Toronto Councillor Kristyn Wong Tam’s office, and working for the project Courage to Act which is a 2 year project funded by the federal government to address gender-based violence on post secondary campuses across Canada. Carina will continue to pursue her passion for gender equity in the fall of 2020 as she attends the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) for a Master of Education in Education Policy.”

Carina graduated from a four-year Honors Specialization in Women’s Studies in 2018.
Throughout her four years of study, Carina was a faculty soph, a Residence Advisor, President of the Arts
and Humanities Students’ Council, and the Gender Equality Network Coordinator for the University
Students’ Council (USC). In her fourth year, Carina campaigned and was elected as the USC Student
Programs Officer for the 2018/2019 academic year.

As an Executive Officer of the USC, Carina embraced a leadership style that prioritized gender
equity. In this full-time position, Carina worked to address and prevent gender-based violence on campus ,
and to elevate the voice and integration of women in politics . As the Executive in charge of overseeing
Western’s Orientation Week, Carina developed an original campaign to address sexual violence and
educate Western’s 5 500 new students about consent . After Orientation Week, Carina led and created
Western’s first ever “ Women in House ,” which brought 24 female students to Ottawa to shadow female
Members of Parliament for a day. Carina also ran a campaign highlighting female leaders on campus to
encourage women to run for political positions. As a capstone to her work at the USC, Carina developed
and executed a successful pilot project to collect data about the viability of providing free menstrual
products permanently in campus washrooms. Carina secured sponsors and produced a data-driven report
in which 12,000 free menstrual products were provided in campus washrooms. Carina advocated to
University administration, municipal politicians, and federal Minister of Employment, Workforce
Development and Labour, Patty Hajdu, on the success of her pilot project. Carina also consulted on the
federal government’s campus framework on Gender-Based Violence as a student representative with
Farrah Khan.

After working for the USC, Carina continued her passion for advocacy by working as a staffer in Toronto Councillor Kristyn Wong Tam’s office, and working for the project Courage to Act which is a 2 year project funded by the federal government to address gender-based violence on post secondary campuses across Canada. Carina will continue to pursue her passion for gender equity in the fall of 2020 as she attends the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) for a Master of Education in Education Policy.

In Her Words: Why I believe Women’s Studies is important

The Women’s Studies department was integral to my growth as an undergraduate. The department is
home to exceptional professors and staff who are committed to a rigorous curriculum which prioritizes
critical thinking, empathy, problem solving, and communication.

I often describe my educational journey as transformative. I came to Women’s Studies with very little
knowledge of the field, or its extensive decades of research. Throughout my four years, Women’s Studies
gave me the tools to deconstruct my biases, evaluate the structures around me, and re-build my foundation
from a place that priorities a comprehensive and empathetic critical lens.

Through Women’s Studies, I was partnered with local organizations that do work with our most
vulnerable community members, and I learned how theory meets every-day practice. Women’s Studies
provided me with skills to expand beyond the field, and to develop a passion for advocacy and social
policy. The skills I learned from Women’s Studies are transferable, and a growing necessity in a world
that requires bold, truthful, and empathetic responses to critical social, structural and economic global
issues.

"I believe Women’s Studies is important because it has made me a better and more realistic leader who can deliver thoughtful solutions for tomorrow. I will be forever thankful and in awe of the impact Women’s Studies has made on my life, and I hope to dedicate my future career to creating, supporting, and amplifying feminist policy every day."