DEFY Magazine

15/03/2024

I hate that stupid adage that women don’t know what they want. It sounds like something men made up to make it seem like we’re frivolous and indecisive. The reality is that men just don’t understand what we want because what we want exists in a parallel universe that they literally never have to consider.

What I really want is to feel safe. Walking to my car. Wearing a short skirt. Sharing my ideas in the boardroom. Disagreeing with a CEO. Existing. I want to feel safe to just exist.

What women really want is a place of belonging where we can be ourselves without it being detrimental to our career. Women just want to feel safe.

When we don’t have to expend most of their energy in survival mode, imagine just how much we can bring to the table?

The brilliant Tonya Whittle delves into the notion of safety – from the dark historical roots that still bind us today, to what need to change to set us free. Her ground-breaking work in human behaviour delves into the intricate web of women's social and cultural conditioning, exploring its impact on fulfillment, power dynamics, and gender diversity across various sectors and industries.

Read the full piece now at DEFY Magazine.

28/02/2024

I worked at a fairly large organization not too long ago. A few months into my position, a colleague warned me in no uncertain terms that if the Chief People Person calls you to do a “random” culture check…LIE. Lie through your teeth. Tell them everything is great. Why? Because apparently if you say anything bad, the information goes right to our manager and then you get treated like a pariah or forced into an awkward sit down with said manager to discuss your concerns. Cool. Cool, cool.

I always suspected something about HR was rigged. If you’ve ever wondered what HR is actually there for and what they do on the daily, wonder no more. This article spills the tea.

Our brilliant and hilarious Contributing Editor, Althea Branton, explains why she may just be the very last Human in Human Resources.

06/12/2023

I mean, come on.

04/12/2023

When Tyna Hope reached out to DEFY to tell us about her experience working in the Tech space, we immediately connected with her and knew our readers would too. She is scary smart, confident, fed-up, and ready for change. All of DEFY’s favourite character traits.

Tyna holds a PhD in engineering and was worked in Tech for 25 years. In this new article, she explains that despite national conversations about gender diversity in tech, women are still underrepresented, discriminated against, and then told that the problem is them.

Check it out!

24/11/2023

Women’s representation in the corporate world isn’t improving in leaps and bounds. Not even in leaps OR bounds. Research shows It actually hasn’t improved much at all in the last few years.

We have work to do, so let's do the damn thing. Together.

DEFY is back and better than ever with a new platform at defymag.ca. Subscribe to the newsletter - DEFY DIGEST - and get up-to-date feminist news and research direct to your inbox AND be the the first to know when new, exclusive content drops.

Have an unapologetic weekend.

29/03/2023

We all have blind spots. You might not even realize that you’re giving your power away, so here is part two of confidence corner where Karen Laos Consulting highlights the most common ways we do this as women, and above all else, how to take your power back!

Read it here: https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/confidence-corner

28/03/2023

Gaslighting may be the silent killer of women's agency, but it's time to turn up the volume by exploring the origins, tactics, and devastating effects of this manipulative technique.

Read all about it in Issue 3 of DEFY Magazine. https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/herstory

27/03/2023

Good morning to everyone except this *ex* VICE executive producer!

24/03/2023

Did you miss Althea Branton's incredible letter to the patriarchy in Issue 3 of DEFY Magazine?

If so RUN don’t walk.

This letter will have you laughing, shaking your head and nodding in agreement as you read through it.

Let us know what think! https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/dear-patriarchy

22/03/2023

Yesterday we highlighted Patriarchal Stress Disorder: the collective, intergenerational trauma that comes from living under patriarchy.

This disorder can be triggered when we feel psychologically unsafe. In addition to workplace violence and harassment, we face interpersonal conflict, critical or disrespectful environments, microaggressions, low levels of autonomy, role overload, role ambiguity, and pay inequity. Job insecurity makes us feel particularly unsafe since we rely on our work to pay for food, shelter, and other needs.

In Jen Lawrence’s article, she explains four important practices that we can use when triggered at work, in order to regulate our nervous systems and return to a place where we can once again utilize our rational brain.

Read about it: https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/the-body-keeps-the-score

20/03/2023

We are honoured to announce that DEFY Magazine is the first publication to sit down with Kate Manne to discuss her upcoming work, “Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia”.

Manne is shifting gears to explore the intersection of misogyny and fatphobia and how diet culture is a tool leveraged by the patriarchy to further control women.

“I mean, frankly, it's a great way to keep women small, quiet, and preoccupied, and having less energy to pay attention.” - Kate Manne

Does this resonate with you? Let us know in the comments!

Read the full article: https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/kate-manne-interview

16/03/2023

Today is the day! Join us over on Instagram at 12:30pm EST.

Join us LIVE on Instagram this Thursday, March 16th at 12:30pm EST .magazine as Editor, Julie Lawrence sits down with our incredible cover woman Sonia Jhas to discuss the importance of knowing your value(s).

Read the article and tune in with all your questions! https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/know-your-values

14/03/2023

"Knowing that she had a criteria to fulfill, Jhas began to accumulate her list of “ticky marks” to prove that she was doing all the things she was supposed to. Academics? Ticky mark. Corporate job in Finance? Ticky mark. Older, Indian fiancée? Ticky mark."

"Here’s the problem though: the more she ticked off her list, the farther away she felt from success. If success was the destination, why didn’t she feel like she was getting any closer? Why did she feel further and further disconnected from herself? Something had to give. Maybe she didn’t know it then, but the spark was being lit that would become the fire that would burn it all down. And what a blaze it would be!"

Read more about ’ healing journey and the lessons she’s learned in Issue 3 of DEFY Magazine. https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/know-your-values

13/03/2023

Join us LIVE on Instagram this Thursday, March 16th at 12:30pm EST .magazine as Editor, Julie Lawrence sits down with our incredible cover woman Sonia Jhas to discuss the importance of knowing your value(s).

Read the article and tune in with all your questions! https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/know-your-values

10/03/2023

When her house of cards came crumbling down, mindset expert Sonia Jhas built a new foundation made of her authentic core values. She had to dig deep to find her highest self, but it made her new place stronger than ever.

DEFY Magazine Issue 3 is now LIVE. https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/

10/03/2023

Check out my new article "Get Wildish" in the recent issue of DEFY Magazine Link in comments

09/03/2023

ISSUE 3 is LIVE!

I know you're all nursing your spiritual hangovers from yesterday's International Women's Day festivities, but we want to keep the party going!

This issue is about celebrating the complete woman and encourages you to bring all of yourselves to work (and everywhere else). That's right, you're whole complicated, weird, brilliant, multi-faceted selves. The workplace needs our superpowers and we can only tap into them if we show up fully.

But you don't have to take my word for it. In this issue...

Jen Lawrence explains that our body keeps the score as we navigate how patriarchal trauma impacts us at work.

Lisa Petty, PhD encourages us to ditch logic, embrace our wildish side, and let our bodies be our guide as we become the fullest expression of ourselves.

We also have an exclusive interview with Kate Manne about her latest book called Unshrinking that explores the intersection of misogyny and fatphobia.

And you do NOT want to miss Althea Branton's, ah-hem, "love letter" to the patriarchy from a working mom.

And our cover woman Sonia Jhas shows us how to use our intuition to develop our core values and get on the path to health and happiness.

Enjoy the read and if you love it, share it!

https://www.defymagazine.ca/defy-magazine-issue-3/

xo Editor Jules

08/03/2023

Happy International Women’s Day!

At DEFY Magazine we celebrate all year long. Join us. 💪💗

https://www.defymag.ca/