By Johanne Adam
Marie-Josée Massicotte has spent her whole career asking questions about hard-to-address, taboo-ridden subjects. For years now, she has been working in Latin America on issues involving social justice, democracy and citizen participation. She has covered topics ranging from Mexican opposition to trade agreements, to Brazilian peasant movements, to social and environmental conflict in the State of Oaxaca.
“My research raises issues that involve gender, land rights and safeguarding lives. These are subjects that involve women and that concern them greatly because they often at the forefront of such issues,” said Massicotte, who earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in political science.
Hence, it was not by chance that Marie-Josée Massicotte was chosen to lead the University of Ottawa’s Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies in September 2018. Although she has not specialized in feminist studies, she has always had a natural affinity for the subject.
“Even so, I was somewhat surprised when I was approached to lead the Institute. They said, ‘You’ve always defended feminist causes and we believe that you’ll be able to champion the Institute’s issues.’”
Marie-Josée Massicotte recently sat down with us to answer questions and highlight the Institute’s role on campus and in the community.
What is the mission of the Institute of Feminist and Gender Studies?
The Institute teaches undergraduate and graduate students from every faculty how to approach social issues from a feminist or gender-sensitive perspective.
Whether these issues revolve around feminism, sexism, racism, Indigenous rights or masculinity, diversity, equity and respect for differences are central to feminist and gender studies, and these topics constantly the subject of debate, both in Canada and abroad.
One of the first topics that springs to mind is the #MeToo movement. But in addition to the issue of violence against women, there are a full range of subjects and forms of oppression, certain of which afflict some of the University’s students and employees. Hate speech aimed at vilifying Muslims is one of several examples.
The Institute’s programs prepare young people to become active participants in society, regardless of their intended career path. Whether they find themselves in private industry or public service, in community organizations or NGOs, these students will be equipped to apply the tools and knowledge they have gained at the Institute.
Is this field of study increasingly popular?
Yes, but the social taboo associated with our programs persists. For example, during Open Houses, many parents say they fear there are few job openings for students who earn degrees in feminist and gender studies.
However, I believe that on the contrary, a degree in this field is very valuable in today’s job market because equity and the promotion of diversity have become key social issues. Sectors ranging from government to the entertainment industry are making every effort to promote and better integrate diversity, including through gender-based analyses.
Moreover, female students, as a group, are much more concerned about LGBTQ or Indigenous issues, for example. They want to learn how to combat stereotypes and inequality.
Are there many men in your courses?
There are always more women in our programs, but the number of male students enrolled in feminist studies is increasing. The male-to-female ratio in my graduate seminar is 50-50.
What are your goals as director?
One of my goals is to increase awareness of the research conducted by members of the Institute because our professors and researchers tackle social issues in innovative ways. For example, Professor Christabelle Sethna has co-authored a book entitled Animal Metropolis that deals with animal rights in a way that intersects with feminist issues.
Professor Gulzar R. Charania teaches a course on queer theory that analyses the history of gay and lesbian studies and examines the emergence of queer theory and culture.
I also intend to continue to foster ties with feminist, queer and marginalized communities, both on campus and in the community, which is in keeping with our mandate of promoting social justice.
We are also trying to hire more professors because student enrolment at the Institute is steadily growing, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, and ours is a very promising interdisciplinary field of education and research.