‘Sad to be an Albertan’: Professor of women’s studies reacts to essay contest controversy
Posted Aug 13, 2022 4:32 pm.
Last Updated Aug 13, 2022 4:53 pm.
A professor of women’s studies at the University of Alberta says she is sad and worried after a government-run contest awarded a prize to an entry widely criticized for being sexist and racist.
Katy Campbell, who teaches women’s and gender studies, believes the Alberta government choosing such an essay to win the third-place prize highlights a darker side within the province.
The essay said, in part, that women and men aren’t equal. It also urges women to forgo careers and focus on baby-making so the province doesn’t have to bring in more foreigners.
“It’s just a factor of biology that women can reproduce,” said Campbell. “It has nothing to do at all with their intellect, for example, or their contributions apart from that to society.”
Another thing that disturbed the U of A professor in the essay is the line that likens immigration to cultural suicide.
“Sadly we know that there are pockets of racism and hate and misogyny in this province,” said Campbell. “It makes me sad to be an Albertan and really worried.”
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The third-place essay was pulled, along with the other two winners, from the government’s website after criticism emerged on social media.
The “Her Vision Inspires” contest, meant to promote women’s voices in politics, asked young women aged 17 to 25 to pen essays about changes they would like to see in Alberta, and what they would do as an MLA.
Professor hopes essayist is getting support
Campbell did share a thought for the writer of the third-place essay – who was only identified as S. Silver – and hopes she is doing OK amid the backlash.
“She may be a young 18-year-old thinking, ‘this is fair, this is the way that I’m thinking, I’m going to express my views.’ And then to be attacked like this – and of course social media is particularly bad for that.
“So I hope she’s getting some support – not support for her views, but support for being able to express herself in an appropriate way.”
Essay contest judges apologize
The contest was run by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and the Canadian branch of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians.
The judges of the contest, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, the UCP’s associate minister for the status of women, and Jackie Lovely, the department’s parliamentary secretary, later issued statements.
Armstrong-Homeniuk said the essay never should have been chosen. Lovely apologized for her role in the contest.
“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that,” wrote Armstrong-Homeniuk. “The selection of this particular essay and awarding it with third prize was a failure on my part as the head of the judging panel.”
NDP MLA Rakhi Pancholi called on them both to resign from their positions.
Essayist concerned by third-place prize
Meanwhile an essayist whose work did not win a prize in the contest called the third-place essay “concerning.”
Emelia Kazakawich’s essay explored how Alberta should change their approach toward the opioid crisis, the overloaded health-care system and invest in more supports.
But Kazakawich doesn’t think resignation is the solution.
“I think an apology is fine,” she said. “I don’t think that telling people to resign from making a mistake is super productive. So I think that whatever is going to be the most productive is probably an apology and changed behaviour.”
—With files from The Canadian Press
