As the country observes its first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Caleigh Wong explores the history between Canada’s Armed Forces and its Indigenous peoples. From Oka to the Proud Boys, repeated disappointments in the Forces’ commitment to protect all Canadians demands greater efforts for reconciliation in the military and across all federal institutions.
Intersectionality and lived experience, though standard concepts within many policy areas, has been largely absent from military diversity and inclusivity initiatives. In this article, Caleigh Wong explores the Canadian Armed Forces’ current leadership crisis through this lens to understand how a broader understanding of identity may help inform long-overdue institutional reform.
In this article, Caleigh Wong investigates the debate surrounding female conscription and Sweden, one of the few countries who has incorporated it into their defence policy. The Sweden case study offers justification for this practice through both a gender parity and operational effectiveness lens, but also presents shortcomings in its ability to meaningfully contribute to true equality.
The current institutional crisis underway in the Canadian Armed Forces is not only a domestic issue with extensive human costs for servicewomen and men, but a potential threat to broader Canadian international defense capabilities. In this article Caleigh Wong discusses the current investigation into sexual misconduct in the military and what this means for an organization crucial to upholding Canada’s democracy.