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Another week has passed and and rabble.ca’s bloggers have churned out more great content about what’s happening in Canada. From gendered and emotional labour to Indigenous child poverty here are some of the best blog posts this week.
Social justice work can sometimes be a thankless job. But Niyousha Bastani has a love letter for all activists with a message that you are not disposable. She discusses the often long working hours and stress along with the irony of mental health problems, which are often onset or worsened by stress, being a social justice issue. She notes that this toll is often hardest felt by those from marginalized groups who often engage in this work. But she recommends keeping the long term in mind as a way to prioritize self-care. In a culture where being busy all the time is valued this piece is a nice reminder that you are more than your productivity and it’s okay to take care of yourself.
From emotional labour to gendered labour. Last week media was abuzz as Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau, wife of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wants more staff to help manage her official duties. Many balked at the idea given the affluence of the Trudeaus and it raised questions about what a Prime Minister’s wife’s job is. Leigh Nunan weighs in on the issue and examines the implications for gendered labour. She acknowledges Grégoire-Trudeau’s privilege but argues that we need to recognize the value of unpaid labour no matter who it is done by. Nunan says we should leverage this opportunity and fight to make things better for everyone.
In municipal Ontario politics, Sadiq Khan was recently elected as the mayor of London. Shenaz Kermalli writes about how increasing Muslim representation in politics and media helps to combat the credibility of ISIS. However, she says we need to stop valuing “moderate” Muslims based on their condemnation of the Islamic State and instead celebrate people regardless of religion. She argues that maybe media outlets should drop the Muslim descriptor all together.
Finally from Ontario to Manitoba, a study released earlier this week revealed that the province has the highest number of Indigenous children in poverty. Cora Morgan examines the rising issue and the conditions that contribute to it. She notes the continuing cycle of poverty that is linked to child apprehension and missing and murdered Aboriginal people. She says Indigenous families continue to be impacted by the affects of the Indian Act, Residential Schools, and the Sixties Scoop and that meaningful government support is needed to improve this crisis.
That’s it for this week’s blog roundup, make sure to check out more rabble.ca blogs to find out what’s happening in your world.
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