NCWIB x WOCC x Women's History Month!
- ncwibcanada
- Mar 31
- 3 min read
To end off this year's Women's History Month, NCWIB has partnered with 5 student groups across the entire country in order to highlight their achievements and work to promote women in their respective fields!
Women of Colour Collective of McGill Law
Tell us about your collective?
The Women of Colour Collective of McGill Law (WOCC) aims at building community and solidarity at McGill Law and beyond. It provides a supportive space for women from racialized backgrounds, including Indigenous, Black, Immigrant and trans people of colour at McGill’s Faculty of Law. WOCC aims to understand, unpack and highlight the intersectionality of our lived experiences, and respect the way in which gender (gender identity, sexual orientation), race, class, LGBTQIA+, dis/ability, migration status and religion, among other identity markers, produce different outcomes for us all.
What is your society's social issue focus and in what ways have you been involved?
By providing cultural, social, professional, educational, and community service programs, the WOCC advances the needs of women and trans people of colour, thereby enriching the educational experience at McGill Law. WOCC co-creates workshops with law firms in Montreal and builds mentorship networks between its members and alumni to support students to find jobs. Further, by hosting regular meetings, WOCC creates a space where students can feel a sense of community between women of colour at McGill Law, helping build relationships that last a lifetime.
How do you feel student involvement in these social issues can impact change?
Throughout our careers in law, we hope to see young women/gender diverse folk of colour respected and valued in their place of work regardless of what field of law they have entered into. Through partnering with traditional law firms, we aim for them to celebrate everyone’s identity regardless of identity markers and be a welcoming space for all. For the countless law students entering with the aim of social justice work, we hope to see law schools highlight more opportunities outside the corporate law structure. WOCC aims to connect law students with alum to build a collective of women of colour and other diverse people to ensure there is space of dignity and respect for our members in whatever career opportunities they pursue after law school.
Why is female representation so important?
Representation alone won’t change the systems that create and maintain inequality, but more women of colour lawyers can at least open the door to a more equitable future. The incredible professors we have at McGill that are women of colour are all fighting for social justice in different ways - whether through international development, constitutional law, racial capitalism, or transnational labour law. Thinking about law in a corporate setting, more women of colour in partner positions shows a commitment to fostering and supporting diverse young lawyers. Building connections and mentorships are essential to changing the image of what a typical “lawyer” looks like. WOCC’s core priority is community because the relationships we build in law school help guide our experiences well into our careers.
Who is your greatest female icon?
WOCC greatly looks up to the work of Judge Corrine (Connie) Sparks. Justice Sparks was the first Black judge in Nova Scotia and the first Black woman to serve on the bench in Canada. She contributed to substantive diversity in the justice system through her willingness to enact change and consider the experiences of racialized members of the community. A milestone of her legacy was her decision in R v. S (RD) which required the Supreme Court of Canada to grapple with the reality of anti-Black racism in Nova Scotia.
Biggest self-advocacy tip:
As law students, our biggest tip is to do the research. Prepare yourself when engaging in advocacy, and equip yourself with the facts and studies necessary to prove your point. Whether speaking at a public forum or advocating for yourself in a salary negotiation, prepare yourself by gathering information and not being afraid to stand up for yourself and your community. Your voice is necessary.
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