How QFLIP Was Started
The story of how QFLIP was started is the perfect example of empowered women empowering women. In January 2015 during our first year at Queen’s, we attended a Principal’s Forum where Tricia Marwick, the first female Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, spoke about her journey to one of the top political positions in Scotland. Her story empowered us but also opened our eyes to the unique challenges women face in rising to influential positions in political spheres and beyond. Sitting down at dinner following her keynote, we reflected on the lack of young women in leadership positions on campus and the issues that faces women pursuing politics at all levels. We both agreed that there should be a bigger forum that raises awareness and spurs people to action in empowering women to be leaders in politics. And so after one speech and one dinner we did something about it.
How We Did It
While we are the founders, QFLIP was built by countless leaders and there are many voices to thank. We put out an open call on campus for individuals to join our inaugural executive team and were blown away with the passion and commitment we saw from the Queen’s community from that day onwards. This includes student societies, the Political Studies Department and our Professor Elizabeth Goodyear-Grant, who taught us about women in politics for the very first time. Once we hired our inaugural executive team to whom our gratitude is endless, the planning began for the future of women leadership at Queen’s and beyond.