50 Ways – Selina’s Milestone Year

by | Mar 27, 2025 | 50th Anniversary 1975-2025, Did You Know?, News and Views

We are asking each current staffperson with the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women to choose a milestone year to reflect on among these “50 Ways to Achieve Equality” posts. Today’s significant year is selected by Selina Khan.

Photo of Selina In early January, an old friend of Michelle Jay’s from Mt. Allison University days dropped into her office with her delightful daughter, who offered to volunteer with us for a few months. How grateful we have been for Selina since! She has been working a couple of days a week with us, on IWD and various education programs, and has been very helpful, resourceful, charming and lovely to be around! She played a special role coordinating the study group on Kate Beaton’s graphic novel DUCKS: Two Years in the Oil Sands. 
 
Selina Khan is a recent graduate from Mount Allison University who studied international relations and sociology. She has a passion for non-profit work, helping with various organizations such as Red Cross, Moving Forward Co-op, and Humanitarian Partners International. Selina grew up in Ontario but has always considered PEI her second home.

FROM SELINA

An Equality Report Card was published by the ACSW in 2015. While the Report Card reported a C for the Prince Edward Island government’s progress towards women’s equality goals from 2013 to 2015, there were some areas such as Mental Health which saw significant advancement and progress. What stood out for me from the Report Card was this:

“Following a comprehensive review of mental health and addictions services, Council was very pleased that Dr. Rhonda Matters began work as PEI’s first Chief Mental Health and Addictions Officer in January 2014. She is responsible for development of the long-term strategy for mental health and addictions in the Province. Additionally, the Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council was formally established in March 2014 and included a representative from the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Since May 2014, the Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council has met monthly to advise and provide guidance on the development of a long-term strategy for PEI.”

2014 is a milestone year for me because that was when I was first exposed to immediate family needs for mental health and addiction services. It was the year that I travelled the world with my family and saw all sorts of people around the world struggling with the same mental health and addictions issues. Seeing that the ACSW was involved with PEI government’s actively investing in mental health services is a memorable step to counter the social issues that I was being newly exposed to in the world.

 

 

Cover of the 2015 Equality Report Card of the PEI Advisory Council on the Status of Women

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