CBU Student and Faculty Member Appointed to Nova Scotia Ministers’ Table on Gender-Based Violence

Jenny Hubbert wears many hats: mother of three, Bachelor of Arts Community Studies (BACS) student at Cape Breton University and CBU Students’ Union Women’s Centre Outreach Coordinator. Now she’s adding another role: member of Nova Scotia’s Ministers’ Table on Gender-Based Violence.

Jenny has been selected as a representative of survivor perspectives as the province works to confront one of its most urgent social issues.

“Gender-based violence touches everything. It reaches into healthcare, housing, education, poverty, really every aspect of daily life,” she says. “Being able to bring a survivor voice forward in those conversations is so important. I want people to understand that change doesn’t happen unless survivors are part of the work.”

Jenny has spent the last nine years working in the non-profit sector. She says her appointment felt surreal at first, but ultimately aligned with the work she has already been doing on campus.

“It really feels full-circle,” she says. “All my work: at school, the Women’s Centre, or in the community. It all focuses on safer, supportive spaces for those who’ve experienced violence.”

Her studies at CBU have been transformative in shaping that advocacy.

“I came into the program thinking I understood advocacy,” she says. “But I learned how interconnected everything really is. You can’t talk about gender-based violence without talking about poverty. You can’t talk about poverty without talking about housing. You can’t talk about any of it without talking about mental health. Each issue feeds into the next.”

Jenny isn’t the only CBU representative at the table. She joins CBU faculty member Dr. Tammy Bernasky, who brings life-long experience of disability and  more than 25 years working on disability rights and inclusion. She also specializes in and has experienced gender and disability-based violence. Dr. Bernasky says the creation of the table and the inclusion of a diverse survivor voices marks a meaningful shift.

“Gender-based violence affects people in both obvious and less visible ways, and it has lasting impacts on families and communities,” Dr. Bernasky says. “Different aspects of our identity, such as gender, race, age, ability and socio-economic status, intersect to shape our experiences of violence and our ability to access support. That’s why diverse representation is essential to the success of any gender-based violence initiative.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Bernasky hopes the table leads to meaningful change.

“My personal hope is that this work will create concrete, system-level  actions to address and prevent gender-based violence in diverse communities across the province,” Dr. Bernasky says. “I also hope it elevates efforts to fully support all survivors and their families.”

Jenny has spent the last year working as a Research Assistant for Dr. Bernasky. This work, which examines social determinants of health and structural inequality, has given Jenny a new lens for her advocacy.

“There are things you can feel in your personal life, but research helps explain the structural side. It gives language to what survivors experience but often can’t articulate,” Jenny says.

As she steps into her new role, Jenny aims to bridge her personal experience, academic insight and community knowledge to help shape survivor-centered solutions.

“One person can’t fix gender-based violence,” she says. “But when survivors, communities and governments work together, we can change the systems that keep people unsafe. That’s what this table is about.”

She hopes her journey encourages other students, especially parents and mature learners, to take part in these conversations.

“I’m still a mom doing homework in the car while my kids are at ballet, tap or taekwondo practice,” Jenny says. “But being a student, being in community work, being a survivor. Those perspectives matter. They’re needed.”