Wednesday, August 24, 2022
Timna Ben-Ari, Labour Relations Specialist and one of the staff supports for the union’s equity caucuses, recently sat down with the new Women’s Caucus Chair, Zahra Bolouk, for a question-and-answer session on supporting women in the union, making their voices heard, and the upcoming Women’s Caucus meeting.
Timna Ben-Ari: Hi, Zahra! It’s great to get a chance to talk to you. To start off, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself. How do you spend your personal time?
Zahra Bolouk: I am a “people person,” so mostly I like to spend time with my family and friends. I also consider reading and writing to be great “company” for me. Studying and practicing my faith brings me joy and peace. And finally, I volunteer with groups that support women with substance use and sex work experiences.
TBA: Can you give AMAPCEO members some background on your roles at work and within the union?
ZB: I work at the Ministry of Health in the Ontario Public Service (OPS), specifically as a Senior Policy Analyst working with Health Regulatory Bodies in Ontario.
I am also an AMAPCEO activist and hold the position of Women’s Caucus Chair. I’m passionate about supporting women in all aspects of their lives, so this is an incredibly important role for me!
TBA: What drew you to the AMAPCEO Women’s Caucus and to the role of Chair in particular?
ZB: Well as I said, I am passionate about supporting women, and it was personally important to me to do this within the context of a union. To be honest, I had an unpleasant experience earlier in my career with a different union – I didn’t receive the support I needed during one of the most difficult times of my life. As a result, I was initially hesitant to get involved in AMAPCEO when I started at the OPS.
However, after a conversation with one of my colleagues who spoke very highly of AMAPCEO, I decided to be more engaged. I didn’t want to let one bad experience hinder me from doing the right thing. I realized that what I had needed during that difficult time in my life was someone to listen to and believe in me, and I wanted to be that person for other women. And even if I only help one woman be heard, that one is a lot. So here I am! I am not perfect, but I am persistent!
TBA: What is something you are hoping to bring to your work with the Women’s Caucus? Are there any upcoming events or initiatives you’re excited about?
ZB: The Women’s Caucus Vice-Chair, Sancgeetha Kulaseharan, and I are planning a Women’s Caucus meeting on Monday, September 12. We are hoping this event will give the Caucus an opportunity to meet our members, and to listen to and learn from them.
It’s important to me that the Caucus be transparent and serve the needs of its members, so we are also designing a poll to get members’ opinions on the direction the Caucus should take and what its priorities should be.
I personally am super excited about this event, as well as what we will learn from the poll, and cannot wait to see where they will take us in the future.
TBA: I’m looking forward to hearing what you learn! I’m sure you’ll touch on this in the upcoming meeting, but is there anything you want to share with the members of the Caucus and of the broader AMAPCEO membership now?
ZB: My honest message to our members is that this your Caucus, and we to hear from you! I urge you to speak up and never give up on advocating for yourself. I want our members to push us forward as hard as they can!
In terms of the wider AMAPCEO membership, I will say that, believe or not, you all are part of a larger women’s caucus! Everyone is connected to a woman one way or another in their life. So, if you want a better life, support and empower women!