Five questions with international relations, environmental studies, and women’s and gender studies student Caitlyn Schwaer
2012-11-06 16:13:58
Fourth-year international relations, environmental studies, and women’s and gender studies student Caitlyn Schwaer came to Mount Allison from Calgary, AB.
1- You received a summer undergraduate research grant and chose to look at gender quotas and women’s formal political participation in South American countries. How did you become interested in this particular area of research?
I wrote a paper on electoral gender quotas for an international relations class last year and I was really struck by the difference in representation between countries. Argentina has 40 per cent women in their parliament, whereas countries like Canada and the U.S. have around 20 per cent. There is also a lot of variation in countries that have quotas, for example although Argentina has 40 per cent women, Brazil only has 8%. I was really intrigued by this.
I chose Latin America because legislated quotas have been in place the longest there. In 1991 Argentina was the first country in the world to implement legislated electoral gender quotas, by incorporating quotas into their constitution and electoral laws. Quotas have since spread rapidly throughout Latin America.
What I found was that quotas’ success depends on the political system that is in place. My research looked at how the quotas interacted with the political system and the resulting effect on the numerical representation of women. For example Argentina has a closed-list proportional representation system, while Brazil has an open-list proportional system. One of the things that makes quotas effective is sanctions for non-compliance. Another is having placement mandates, which are particularly effective in a closed-list proportional system, where it can be mandated that one out of every three candidates, in order on the list, has to be a woman. So if three candidates are elected, one of them will inevitably be a woman. In an open-list system like Brazil, you vote for the candidate and not the party. So even if the party has a number of women running, they may not be elected.
2- What got you interested in women’s and gender studies?
The introductory women’s and gender studies course was probably one of the most eye-opening courses I have taken during my time at Mount Allison. What I like about courses in women’s and gender studies is that although most classes at Mount Allison teach you to look critically at the world, in women’s and gender studies you also reflect critically on yourself and on your position in society. It causes you to think about things that you might take for granted.
I also love that it complements other subjects. For example in my major in international relations, we study issues such as poverty. A feminist/women studies perspective teaches you to look at not only who is suffering the most but also how intersecting features, like race, gender, and class come together to put someone in that position.
It has really opened my eyes to seeing things in a different light because it really challenges conventional frameworks and teaches you to consider things differently. I think everyone should take at least the introductory class.
3- You have also had summer employment at Mount Allison, taking part in the 2011 environmental audit of the university. How did this position benefit you and how has the audit made a difference to the University?
It was one of the best experiences I have had here. I was able to interview a wide range of people, go to conferences, and get a real behind the scenes view of the university. Two or three students are hired for the summer every three years to carry out an environmental audit of the University. We look at Mount Allison’s progress from the previous audit in areas like waste management, water consumption, emissions, and food issues.
There are real improvements that result from the audit, although people may not always see them. For example, after the 2008 audit the University adopted an environmentally aware procurement policy and an emission reduction policy, which led to creation of the Green Evolving Fund in 2011. With this fund they do energy efficient renovations and the money they save they put back into the fund for further energy efficient renovations. This could range from energy efficient light bulbs, to taps and toilets, to fume hoods in the chemistry building.
4- You help organize Cinema Politica, a network of university campuses that screen independent films and videos, at Mount Allison. Why is this important to you?
Sometimes what you learn in class, although powerful and interesting, can seem abstract. We are sitting in a classroom in Canada learning about revolution in the Middle East or poverty in Africa and these issues can, at times, seem very distant. When you watch the documentary films you not only have a visual account of the issues, but you are also provided with a powerful human context. It helps me to better relate to these issues.
Cinema Politica also provides a way to educate people about issues that they might not be aware of, as we show films on a range of issues and the screenings draw individuals from all disciplines. In the past these films have mobilized people to take action on issues. Finally, this organization supports independent filmmakers, which I think is very valuable. We really need independent, alternative voices and perspectives.
5- What would you like to do when you graduate?
I think I would like to do a Master’s in either women’s studies or social justice. One of the benefits of Mount Allison is that I have been able to take a wide range of subjects, which has made me very passionate about many things. However, this makes it a little challenging when trying to decide what I want to do after graduation.