Samaan Aawaaj

Feminist Leadership Commitment Charter

We commit to practising feminist leadership as a daily, intentional practice grounded in care, equity, shared power, and accountability. We recognize this work is ongoing and imperfect, and we hold ourselves responsible to learn, reflect, and grow – together and in relationship with the communities we serve.

Listening with intention and respect

We listen deeply, with curiosity and openness, and intentionally make space for voices that are often unheard or marginalized. We value lived experience and community knowledge alongside other ways of knowing.

Leading with care and a “do no harm” approach

We approach risk, conflict, and difficult conversations with care, prioritizing safety, dignity, and the well-being of individuals and communities. We lead without judgment, recognizing that people contribute and participate in different ways.

Communicating honestly and transparently

We share information openly, speak truthfully about what has happened, and address issues before they fester – even when conversations are uncomfortable. We build trust through ethical, transparent, and respectful communication.

Holding productive tension between patience and urgency

We are patient with people, communities, and the complexity of change, while remaining deliberately impatient with injustice, inequity, and systems that fail to respond with urgency. We honour the time transformation takes without losing momentum.

Sharing power and practising accountability

We practise participatory and equitable decision-making and are transparent about how and why decisions are made when leadership authority must be exercised. We remain accountable to one another, to our partners, and to the communities we serve.

Learning, repairing, and growing together

We acknowledge mistakes, take responsibility for harm, and commit to repair and learning. We treat missteps as opportunities for growth, reflection, and improved practice.

Acting inclusively and intentionally

We design and implement initiatives that actively include diverse perspectives, experiences, and ways of participating, ensuring our actions align with our feminist values.

News and Events

Travel and Learn in Nepal

Travel and Learn in Nepal

StFX students are invited to apply for a fully funded opportunity to travel to Nepal and participate in a five-day Feminist Leadership Workshop with global activists and community leaders.

St. Francis Xavier University and Coady Institute stand on the lands of Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded home of the Mi’kmaw. We express our deep gratitude and appreciation to the generations of Mi’kmaw who, since time immemorial, have loved and stewarded these lands and the beings who call them home. Colonization is not just history; it exists in the present tense. While we strive to decolonize ourselves and our University, we know there is still much for us to learn.

We are committed to doing the hard work of self-reflection and to repairing relationships with the Mi’kmaw on whose lands we reside, including embracing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls to Action and embodying their spirit in our plans to move forward with our University.

Ms~t wiaqpulti’kl ankukamkewe’l
We are all treaty people.

Coady Institute
St. Francis Xavier University
4780 Tompkins Lane
PO Box 5000
Antigonish, NS B2G 2W5
Canada

Phone: (902) 867-3960
Phone: 1-866-820-7835 (within Canada)
Fax: (902) 867-3907

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