Every Thursday I profile a new incredible woman, each from a different walk of life. Different professions, causes, backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and anything/everything else!
So without further delay, let me introduce the wonderful Carmela Hutchison…
President of DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada, Carmela Hutchison is “committed to working for the day people living with multiplicity/DID will have the same access to treatment that other diagnostic categories do; a right they do not share with their fellow Canadians.” When no resources could be found for a fellow multiple after a critical event, Carmela became committed to working to improve the quality of life of mental health consumers, and all people living with a disability. Carmela reminds us that even if we feel insignificant or that we can’t contribute, all we need to do is take a look around!
What drives you to do what you do?
The human family must have something better to offer its members.
How does being a woman empower / challenge you?
I believe women are able to empower one another by listening and sharing universal experiences in our lives. I am challenged as a woman by the way many women today feel feminism is not relevant for them, and these are the two biggest questions I try to address: How do we make feminism relevant to women again? How do we stop violence against women?
What advice would you give to young women who want to follow in your footsteps?
Educate yourselves and really learn about current events. Believe the world can be different and make it so. Women must also really remember to support the work of other women.
Name one person, place, or thing every young woman should know about?
The wise words of women who write about feminism and feminist issues.
What is the most important thing we can do in order to change the world?
People often think what I do is so special, but really, it is not. Anyone who wants to help someone only has to walk outside his or her front door. Read everything you can, and try to become involved in one activity that helps others around you. If you think you are insignificant or that you cannot contribute, walk outside your door and really look at all the ways around you that you can make a difference. In organizations, we call this the environmental scan, but the opportunities to be significant and helpful are all around us.
To find out more about DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada, you can check out their website here.
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two comments
Thanks for this interview. I went to a workshop put on by DAWN and it was really informative.
Posted by Alison M
February 26, 2009, 4:03 PM
That's great, Alison! Thanks for letting us know! :)
Posted by D. Cole
February 27, 2009, 11:08 AM
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