Coming off the official launch of Team HB6’s leadership programming, I reflect on opportunities and obstacles impacting visibility. This will likely be the first of many reflections on this topic over the coming year!
With each new year, rather than pick a specific action-focused resolution, I select a keyword or theme that I can channel in each area of my life throughout the year. In 2021, my keyword is ‘visibility’. To be more accurate, what I want to channel is both ‘visibility’ and ‘audibility’—being both seen and heard—but I’ll use the term ‘visibility’ throughout this post for simplicity.
As I mentioned at the end of my first blog post, the obvious interpretation is that I am striving for visibility surrounding my participation in Homeward Bound. This is certainly a hefty undertaking for me as a graduate student member of Team HB6 who is still navigating the early stages of my career. However, ‘visibility’ is a multifaceted theme that extends beyond my participation in Team HB6, encompassing self-expression and self-advocacy even within my personal relationships. It might involve something as seemingly simple as voicing my disagreement, expressing my needs within a relationship, or sharing my interests without fearing others' negative judgment. It means finding the courage to show up, unapologetically take up space, and own and celebrate my presence.
Among Team HB6, members are united through our values and leadership training. However, we are ultimately a collective of womxn striving to develop and advance our unique projects and careers across a broad range of STEMM fields. While I had previously been visible in certain spheres for my work affiliated with research or volunteer organisations, it was and is an entirely new experience to put myself forth as an individual along with my vision and hopes for the future. It's an ongoing learning process to strike the right balance between exposure and privacy and to discern which types of content I want to publicly share and support.
This opportunity with Homeward Bound has challenged me to think about how I want to present myself to the world in a way that is authentic while maintaining healthy personal boundaries.
This past winter, I took the first step by launching my crowdfunding campaign and featuring in a news article about my selection for Team HB6. On February 11, coinciding with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Homeward Bound officially announced the 100 members of Team HB6 through website and social media channels. The announcement reached thousands of people across the world, firmly thrusting us into the spotlight once and for all.
As I’m sure many HB participants will agree, visibility can be terrifying! For those with little experience on the global stage (and even for some with plenty of experience), putting yourself out there is terrifying. Fundraising is terrifying.
Being vulnerable and not knowing what response you’ll receive is terrifying. And yet, millions of people are doing it each day—why not us? We blaze 100 different trails of leadership all converging in Antarctica and our potential is overflowing.
And so, with the anxiety and uncertainty also comes excitement, pride, and anticipation—what will we do next? What news will we share next? What kinds of projects will we lead across the world?
Image: An illuminating visual showing where the HB6 members are currently located on a world map. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of us are concentrated in Australia, New Zealand, Western Europe, USA, and Canada, leaving huge gaps across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. In other words, despite being the most culturally diverse Homeward Bound cohort yet, we are far from representing the global majority. How can we increase the visibility and, more significantly, the accessibility of the Homeward Bound initiative to engage womxn all around the world? Image credit: Anna Ferré-Mateu (Instagram | Twitter).
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As both a personal and professional challenge, I chose to build a website as my “home base” during my HB6 journey. Beyond my affiliation with Homeward Bound’s mission and programming, I felt this was a perfect chance to test the waters of visibility and gain confidence projecting my voice. Even crafting a short biographical blurb required introspection to shed the safety blanket of my “student” label and present myself more holistically. What did I really want to convey through this platform?
Despite being a scientific researcher with years of technical experience, I think some of my greatest strengths have been on display when communicating science to non-experts and utilising my artistic creativity to bring colour to my environment.
My website is therefore a space where I can push myself to showcase different qualities through media such as artwork and non-technical writing. Moreover, I’m taking the plunge to blog about my thoughts and experiences throughout this whole process. While it can feel intimidating and unstructured at times, I think it’s important to highlight not just the end products of my efforts (publications, presentations, project results, etc.) but what it’s like getting there—that is, a glimpse into my personal and professional development along the way.
Part of this means acknowledging some of the disadvantages at play for me. For example, as a womxn of colour, I am keenly aware that social media and search algorithms may work against me. Persistent negative stereotypes can impact how others perceive my credibility and competence as a scientist and engineer. When I have the courage to assert my needs and insist on being visible and audible, it’s at the heightened risk of backlash from those who benefit from the (inequitable) status quo.
Moreover, I must consider: what barriers to my visibility exist of which I am not even aware?
As a non-binary womxn, I confess that I was fearful publicly sharing my pronouns (they/them) on my website. In fact, it took years for me to start including pronouns in my e-mail signature at work and I’ve yet to do so on my LinkedIn profile…the anxiety is still too high there. Even though I’m fortunate to live in a city that has been reasonably safe to explore and express my gender, ignorance and hatred can crop up at any moment. Indeed, growing up, I encountered a great deal of homophobia, transphobia, and misogyny among my family of origin, as many South Asians can relate—perhaps a topic for another blog post.
That being said, I also recognise my privilege in several ways. As a native English speaker living in Canada, I benefit from Homeward Bound’s visibility in the Western world and I have confidence communicating freely within the HB6 program. I am financially and physically privileged to be able to accept such a position and the rigours of the Antarctic voyage. And, importantly, I feel safe enough to openly speak about HB6, my mission, and my values, in large part due to the healthy support system I have around me today.
The sobering reality is that not every womxn will experience the same enthusiasm and encouragement from their friends, family, colleagues, and community to undertake this adventure. Some may even be risking their personal safety or stability to pursue their dreams.
Visibility therefore has diverse implications and it’s that much more important that Team HB6 and our networks actively support and empower one another according to our diverse needs. Why is it worth this exhausting uphill battle to dismantle barriers to our visibility? It's because representation matters. Authentic expression matters. My voice and my contributions matter, and perhaps my visibility can encourage someone else out there who relates to my identity and experiences. There is great power in knowing that we are not alone. I believe that STEMM work should be done by and for everyone; that the biggest scientific problems of our time can only be solved if we harness the power of inclusion. And so, this is just the beginning of my visibility journey with Team HB6 as we pursue collaborative progress, reflecting on the ups and downs as they come.
In what ways do you strive to be more visible? What are some of the obstacles (external or internal) that hold you back? How does this impact your personal and professional wellbeing? Let me know by leaving a comment or contacting me with your input! Visibility is one of the major program streams within Homeward Bound, so I will most likely return to it on this blog several times throughout the year.
Aside from the reading material linked throughout this post, I’d like to share a few podcast episodes that have helped me reflect on leadership and assertiveness, as well as how our perception and practice of these (or lack thereof) impact our visibility:
Cultivating H.E.R. Space – S3E5: How To Become More Assertive (And Why It's Important)
The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema – E52: Reclaiming Voice: Moving from Passive to Assertive, E65: Leading Well & E71: Empowerment: Taking up Space
I also recommend checking out all the other episodes by these podcasters! A brilliant listen especially for womxn of colour and those most harmed by systems of oppression.
Next time…
Visibility is imperative for career advancement but too many systemic barriers keep womxn invisible. In addition to negative stereotypes and double standards imposed by others, many of us are also struggling to unlearn our own social conditioning that is detrimental to our self-confidence and self-perception. Imposter syndrome is an all-too-common phenomenon disproportionately impacting racialized womxn. And yes, it also affects the womxn of Homeward Bound—stay tuned for more on this topic next time!