Feminist Principles
  The Feminist Principle of Education and Mentoring

The Feminist Principle of Education and Mentoring


The feminist principle of education and mentoring is crucial to the health of equality-seeking organizations. If we are to make real progress in our efforts toward equality, we must learn about the women who came before us, as well as the realities of women’s lives today. The constant sharing of knowledge informed by women’s experience is key to understanding our history and embracing the challenge of our work toward equality and social justice.

The feminist principle of education and mentoring means creating opportunities to guide, counsel, coach, tutor and teach each other. Constantly sharing our skills, knowledge, history and understanding makes our organizations healthier and more effective in our pursuit of equality and inclusion.

As feminists, we need to understand how traditional patriarchal systems have historically contributed to women’s oppression. We must consider the lives of our foremothers, and acknowledge the ways in which women made a difference in families and communities despite having limited choices and options. The feminist leaders who came before us braved the backlash and stigma of equality work, and dared to make societal changes which have improved the lives of generations of women. For example, suffragists in this province rallied, marched, demonstrated, wrote letters, attended meetings, and circulated petitions until women won the right to vote. We
celebrate our feminist history by acknowledging and highlighting the work women have done on our collective behalf. We continue these efforts through sharing our history, strategies, skills and analysis with other women and organizations. This will ultimately strengthen the feminist movement, and move us closer to a long-term vision of equality and inclusion.

As feminists, we recognize that women’s learning and knowledge is informed in many ways. We acquire knowledge formally, through courses and programs in colleges, universities and other educational institutions. We develop our knowledge informally, through our experience of growing up female and living life as women. In our work with equality-seeking organizations, communities, governments, universities and other structures we also gain knowledge and learning. As feminists, we validate all women’s ways of knowing, for it is through our collective knowledge, skills and abilities that we are empowered to make real progress in our work toward equality.

We are all mentors on some level, whether we have gained our understanding through our personal experiences, work or formal education. As feminists, we seek to change societal attitudes and understandings, and create policies, programs, practices, services and legislation which improve the status of women. Women in government need access to the experience of community activists and advocates if they are to advance equality and inclusion through policies and programs. Women in community must learn about government initiatives and programs in order to inform the advocacy and services we provide on women’s behalf. Feminist researchers and academics must share their information and analysis with women in both settings to add strength and credibility to our call for equality. It is through our continuous sharing of knowledge as women and feminists that we may affect change in the broader context.

Many equality-seeking organizations already incorporate education and mentoring into our regular practice, whether we are aware of it or not. For example, some groups orient new members to the history, mandate and goals of the organization through formal training sessions or informal talks. Other practices include holding regular discussions to learn more about feminism and the history of the women’s movement, and inviting other activists from the community to talk about equalityseeking and anti-violence work. Within our own membership, we may pair women so that those who are less experienced have someone to consult for advice, information and assistance. This also presents an opportunity for more experienced women to share their knowledge, interests and experience with others.

We have a responsibility, as individuals and organizations, to provide women with the opportunities, skills and knowledge they need to participate in our work in a meaningful way. This enables women to become valuable and contributing members and leaders of our organizations. When we choose not to share our skills and knowledge with each other, or not to provide guidance to members who may be struggling to find answers or resolve problems, our organizations will ultimately suffer. As feminists, we have an obligation to share our knowledge and experience of women’s and feminist issues to advance our agenda for equality and inclusion.

To be effective mentors and teachers within our organizations and communities, we need to keep in mind that how we go about this interaction with others is just as important as actually doing it. Respect, acceptance and patience are integral to this process, as is a genuine desire to carry forward the past work and accomplishments
of the women’s movement. Learning and growing as individual women and organizations is a lifelong process, requiring the commitment, time and willingness of all members. These practices strengthen the feminist ovement as we continue to work for equality and social justice.

source: PACSW pdf document (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

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Page last updated July 20, 2003