Former University of Ottawa dean receives gender equity award
Date: Sept. 13, 1999
Time: 3:29 pm
The former dean of medicine at the University of Ottawa, Dr. John Seely, received the first-ever May Cohen Gender Equity Award from the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine today. He set a number of precedents in gender equity beginning in 1993 when he appointed Canada's first assistant dean of gender issues, Dr. Yvonne Lefebvre.
"[Seely] made gender equity important in the faculty," said Lefebvre, who is now vice-dean of research and a vice-president at The Ottawa Hospital.
Seely went on to help establish the university's Office of Gender and Equity Issues in 1997.
Over the years, the office's initiatives have resulted in what is arguably the most progressive gender equity program among Canadian schools of medicine. That program includes a sexual harassment policy, mentoring programs, flexible part-time work arrangements, proportional representation on all faculty committees, an informal conflict resolution system and parental leave. In addition, each of the 14 departments have established its own gender equity committee. An advisory committee of 30, including the departmental representatives, helps guide the office's policies.
In making the presentation today, Dr. Barbara Lent, chair of COFM's Gender Issues Committee, also announced that the award would be named in honour of Dr. May Cohen, a long-term gender equity advocate. In fact, Cohen helped establish the COFM committee. "[Cohen] has been involved in almost every project in Ontario and across Canada in the last 10 or 15 years," said Lent.
-- Barbara Sibbald, Ottawa
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