Sabrina Maddeaux - NATIONAL POST
The following is a tale of political folly that is exceptional, even by today’s standards.
© Provided by National Post
Imagine for a minute you’re a member of Alberta’s United Conservatives — a party that habitually suffers from being accused of seeking to restrict abortion and dismissing women in the workplace . You want to put these allegations to rest ahead of the upcoming provincial election, so one of your caucus members proposes an essay contest.
Run by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, it encourages young women to submit visions for the province’s future and what they would do as MLAs. It even has an appropriately feminist-sounding name: “Her Vision Inspires Essay Contest.” But somehow, somewhere along the way, someone forgets one crucial thing: the winning essays of this female-empowerment exercise should not explicitly argue against said empowerment. D’oh.
And so, the Her Vision Inspires third-place prize went to a screed that opens with, “Women have a unique strength: our ability to give birth,” and goes on to argue that, “To promote that women break into careers that men traditionally dominate is not only misguided, but it is harmful. Such a focus distracts from the languishing unique strength and the truly important role that women have in the preservation of our community, culture and species.”
For good measure, it also promoted replacement theory: “While it is sadly popular nowadays to think … Albertan children are unnecessary as we can import foreigners to replace ourselves, this is a sick mentality that amounts to a drive to cultural suicide.”
This prize-winning essay was proudly posted for all to read on the legislative assembly of Alberta’s website. Naturally, the public had some feelings — and they weren’t feelings of empowerment.
Screenshots of the essay circulated on Twitter and multiple NDP MLAs demanded answers, particularly from the MLA who launched the contest, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Alberta’s associate minister for the status of women.
It wasn’t long before the entire Her Vision Inspires page was scrubbed from the assembly’s website. If you try to visit it now, you’ll encounter an error message that says the page does not exist.
And so far, there have been no answers. Who judged the contest? Why did they pick this essay as a winner? Why were no red flags raised before it was publicly posted — an act that would’ve required it to pass through multiple people? Was the contest always little more than a rushed PR exercise?
Armstrong-Homeniuk did provide Edmonton Journal reporter Lisa Johnson with a statement that can be summed up as inadequate. It opened by conceding that the essay “has gathered negative attention on social media” — as if that were the problem, rather than the essay itself.
She went on to say that, “The essay contest was intended to reflect a broad range of opinions from young Alberta women on what democracy means for them. While the essay in question certainly does not represent the views of all women, myself included, the essay in question should not have been chosen.”
That’s a big, lingering “while” in that last sentence, one that could be read to suggest an earlier draft attempted to legitimize the essay’s views. Moreover, the real questions of who judged the contest and why this particular piece was crowned a winner went unacknowledged and unanswered.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Speaker and UCP caucus member Nathan Cooper issued a statement that said the contest was “conceived and administered by the chair of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Canadian Region Alberta branch” and neither the “Speaker’s Office nor the Legislative Assembly office were involved.” While he accurately called the essay’s content “abhorrent,” he stopped short of explaining how exactly it came to win third place or naming the MLAs who judged the contest.
This was followed by Armstrong-Homeniuk herself issuing a statement apologizing for the essay being selected for third place, but didn’t elaborate further on how it happened.
It’s clearly too late to put the misogynistic, racist essay back in the box, but the public does deserve to know what happened. There should be an explanation. Refusing to provide one will only prolong the pain of this entirely unprovoked and supremely silly act of self-immolation.
National Post
Alberta awards prize to essay that argues women should pick babies over careers
EDMONTON — Alberta has awarded a prize to an essayist who argues the sexes are not equal and that women should pick babies over careers to avoid the province having to import more foreigners and risk “cultural suicide.”
© Provided by The Canadian PressAlberta awards prize to essay that argues women should pick babies over careers
The United Conservative government removed the essay from its legislature website on Tuesday following a wave of social media condemnation.
Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Alberta’s associate minister for the Status of Women, was the contest organizer and the head of the judging panel.
She initially distanced herself from the affair then, as criticism mounted, took responsibility without explaining which judges decided to award the prize and why.
“The essay contest was intended to reflect a broad range of opinions from young Alberta women on what democracy means for them,” Armstrong-Homeniuk said in a statement Tuesday morning.
“While the essay in question certainly does not represent the views of all women, myself included, the essay in question should not have been chosen.”
Later in the afternoon, Homeniuk issued an updated statement saying some of her caucus and cabinet colleagues had raised concerns.
“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that," she said.
“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.”
Armstrong-Homeniuk had been the face of the contest since it was introduced in February.
The “Her Vision Inspires” contest challenged women ages 17 to 25 to describe their ideas for a better Alberta.
The contest advertised that essays would be judged by Armstrong-Homeniuk and other legislature members but did not specify the names of the other judges. The Opposition NDP said it did not participate.
The top two essays suggest ways to get more women, and the public in general, involved in public life.
The third-place winner — identified only as S. Silver — won a $200 prize to be spent at the legislature gift shop.
Silver's essay posits that the governing mission of humanity is to reproduce itself, but that Alberta has lost its way to instead pursue “selfish and hedonistic goals.”
The solution, she argues, is to acknowledge that “women are not exactly equal to men.”
Society, she writes, should celebrate and embrace the birthing role of women and stop pushing them to put off prime procreation years while they “break into careers that men traditionally dominate.”
She says the idea that Alberta can put off procreation and instead “import foreigners to replace ourselves … is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”
NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi said Armstrong-Homeniuk owes the public a full explanation of how this view was not condemned, but honoured and rewarded.
“Sexism, racism, hate — this is not what any government should be celebrating, yet increasingly these views are becoming acceptable in this UCP government, and even now applauded,” Pancholi told reporters.
Pancholi zeroed in on the "cultural suicide" reference, likening it to 1930s Nazi Germany urging women to be baby vessels to propagate the Aryan race.
“This is an absolutely reprehensible claim. It is a nod to the racist replacement theory that drives white nationalist hate,” she said.
The contest was run through the legislative assembly office, which is headed by Speaker Nathan Cooper.
Cooper’s office, in a statement, said the contest was conceived and administered by Armstrong-Homeniuk in her role as regional chair of the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians group. It added that neither the Speaker's nor the legislative assembly office were involved in picking the essays "in any capacity."
“As soon as the content of the third-place winner was brought to the Speaker’s attention, he immediately made the decision for the content to be removed," said the statement.
Three candidates in the race to replace Premier Jason Kenney as party leader and premier also took to Twitter to criticize the award.
“It’s a disgrace that an essay saying women are not equal to men won an award sponsored by government. Women, and their contributions, are equally valuable and amazing whether we are moms or not. Can’t believe this needs to be said,” wrote Rebecca Schulz.
Rajan Sawhney followed up: “Agree, Rebecca. Same goes for the comments about 'foreigners.' Alberta is the proud home of people from all over the world — from Ukraine, to the Philippines, and everywhere in between.”
Leela Aheer said: “Well, I read 1st and 2nd place (essays). Those were great! I’m not sure how the 3rd essay elevates women."
Lise Gotell, a women’s and gender studies professor at the University of Alberta, said the essay perpetuates an essentialist, sexist and racist point of view stemming from the long discredited and outdated concept that a women’s role is to reproduce as a bulwark against immigration.
“The fact that it was chosen says a great deal about the views on appropriate gender roles being advanced by this government,” said Gotell.
“This essay reads like something that quite frankly could’ve been written in the 19th century.”
— With files from Angela Amato in Edmonton
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2022.
Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
EDMONTON — Alberta has awarded a prize to an essayist who argues the sexes are not equal and that women should pick babies over careers to avoid the province having to import more foreigners and risk “cultural suicide.”
© Provided by The Canadian PressAlberta awards prize to essay that argues women should pick babies over careers
The United Conservative government removed the essay from its legislature website on Tuesday following a wave of social media condemnation.
Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, Alberta’s associate minister for the Status of Women, was the contest organizer and the head of the judging panel.
She initially distanced herself from the affair then, as criticism mounted, took responsibility without explaining which judges decided to award the prize and why.
“The essay contest was intended to reflect a broad range of opinions from young Alberta women on what democracy means for them,” Armstrong-Homeniuk said in a statement Tuesday morning.
“While the essay in question certainly does not represent the views of all women, myself included, the essay in question should not have been chosen.”
Later in the afternoon, Homeniuk issued an updated statement saying some of her caucus and cabinet colleagues had raised concerns.
“It’s clear that the process failed, and I apologize for my role in that," she said.
“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.”
Armstrong-Homeniuk had been the face of the contest since it was introduced in February.
The “Her Vision Inspires” contest challenged women ages 17 to 25 to describe their ideas for a better Alberta.
The contest advertised that essays would be judged by Armstrong-Homeniuk and other legislature members but did not specify the names of the other judges. The Opposition NDP said it did not participate.
The top two essays suggest ways to get more women, and the public in general, involved in public life.
The third-place winner — identified only as S. Silver — won a $200 prize to be spent at the legislature gift shop.
Silver's essay posits that the governing mission of humanity is to reproduce itself, but that Alberta has lost its way to instead pursue “selfish and hedonistic goals.”
The solution, she argues, is to acknowledge that “women are not exactly equal to men.”
Society, she writes, should celebrate and embrace the birthing role of women and stop pushing them to put off prime procreation years while they “break into careers that men traditionally dominate.”
She says the idea that Alberta can put off procreation and instead “import foreigners to replace ourselves … is a sickly mentality that amounts to a drive for cultural suicide.”
NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi said Armstrong-Homeniuk owes the public a full explanation of how this view was not condemned, but honoured and rewarded.
“Sexism, racism, hate — this is not what any government should be celebrating, yet increasingly these views are becoming acceptable in this UCP government, and even now applauded,” Pancholi told reporters.
Pancholi zeroed in on the "cultural suicide" reference, likening it to 1930s Nazi Germany urging women to be baby vessels to propagate the Aryan race.
“This is an absolutely reprehensible claim. It is a nod to the racist replacement theory that drives white nationalist hate,” she said.
The contest was run through the legislative assembly office, which is headed by Speaker Nathan Cooper.
Cooper’s office, in a statement, said the contest was conceived and administered by Armstrong-Homeniuk in her role as regional chair of the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians group. It added that neither the Speaker's nor the legislative assembly office were involved in picking the essays "in any capacity."
“As soon as the content of the third-place winner was brought to the Speaker’s attention, he immediately made the decision for the content to be removed," said the statement.
Three candidates in the race to replace Premier Jason Kenney as party leader and premier also took to Twitter to criticize the award.
“It’s a disgrace that an essay saying women are not equal to men won an award sponsored by government. Women, and their contributions, are equally valuable and amazing whether we are moms or not. Can’t believe this needs to be said,” wrote Rebecca Schulz.
Rajan Sawhney followed up: “Agree, Rebecca. Same goes for the comments about 'foreigners.' Alberta is the proud home of people from all over the world — from Ukraine, to the Philippines, and everywhere in between.”
Leela Aheer said: “Well, I read 1st and 2nd place (essays). Those were great! I’m not sure how the 3rd essay elevates women."
Lise Gotell, a women’s and gender studies professor at the University of Alberta, said the essay perpetuates an essentialist, sexist and racist point of view stemming from the long discredited and outdated concept that a women’s role is to reproduce as a bulwark against immigration.
“The fact that it was chosen says a great deal about the views on appropriate gender roles being advanced by this government,” said Gotell.
“This essay reads like something that quite frankly could’ve been written in the 19th century.”
— With files from Angela Amato in Edmonton
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2022.
Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
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