Reflection:

What is the overall topic and the goal of your project?

The overall topic of this assignment is the femicides or feminicides in Canada. Femicides are an “intentional killing with a gender-related motivation…[that] may be driven by stereotyped gender roles, discrimination towards women and girls, unequal power relations between women and men, or harmful social norms” according to UN WOMEN. My goal for this project was to spread awareness of gender-based violence, specifically violence against women. If our society becomes further educated on this topic, we are more inclined to prevent or end it.

What sites did you use to collect your data and create the infographic and what did you learn about it?

I did not use many sites to collect my data, but I know for certain that my sources are credible. My horizontal bar chart’s data was taken directly from Statistics Canada; however, there was no .csv file I could download. Therefore, I extracted the necessary information from the data table and put it into my own Excel file. On the other hand, the data for my line chart was downloaded in .csv file format from Our World in Data and I proceeded to cut out unnecessary parts before creating the graph. As for the rest of my charts, I made the charts in Canva with the information I extracted from multiple websites. I used Canva to create my infographic, for its interface is simple to navigate. This assignment taught me how to convert .csv files into graphs/charts and make an infographic. I learned about the number of femicides and their statistics, and I was particularly appalled when I discovered how Indigenous women are targeted. Moreover, I discovered that children and the elderly are often targeted; perhaps because of their feeble bodies.

How has the process of utilizing these sites impacted your understanding of how technology can change (or help) the world?

The process of utilizing these sites has impacted my understanding of how technology can change and help the world. In the past, one could not simply “Google” a topic of interest. People would have to visit their local library and search through books or journals. Our generation has the advantage, as well as the privilege, of technology. However, it depends on how one utilizes it. Social media, for example, is a double-edged sword. Some may use their platform for activism, but others choose to spread false news and hate (with the excuse of their freedom of speech). The mere tap of a button can change, help, or ruin someone’s life, and I now understand the significance of technology to a deeper extent. This assignment has helped me understand how infographics can effectively display data in a clear and aesthetic format.

Bibliography:

Government of Canada, S. C. (2023, April 5). Gender-related homicide of women and girls in Canada. Www150.Statcan.gc.ca. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2023001/article/00003-eng.htm

UN Women. (2022, November 25). Five essential facts to know about femicide. UN Women – Headquarters. https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/11/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide

Roser, M., & Ritchie, H. (2013). Homicides. Our World in Data. https://ourworldindata.org/homicides (this article may have been published in 2013, but it was last updated in 2019)

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Welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to discuss Vivienne Westwood and her impact on the world.

Vivienne Westwood was an English designer, businesswoman, and activist. The origin of punk fashion is often credited to her, as she began designing punk clothing in the 1970’s; an era in which punk clothing was scarce. Do you think punk fashion is accepted in today’s society? She often experimented with her designs, and they were consistently produced with efficacy and quality. Vivienne created trends with her innovative designs, and eventually built her own company, Vivienne Westwood Ltd.. Her business was prospering; therefore, she built her company into an international organization. Why do you think she built her company into an international organization? Vivienne used her platform to its advantage; promoting activism through catwalks and designs. She vouched against nearly everything: capitalism, inequality, poverty, and global warming are a few examples. Speaking of global warming, she campaigned to prevent climate change and she used environmentally sustainable materials to create her clothing. Vivienne’s collection of awards serve as proof of her success and recognition for all her efforts. Ultimately, I am a huge admirer of Vivienne Westwood, for I reckon she was an incredibly remarkable and courageous woman, who was not afraid to experiment and express her individuality. I believe Vivienne’s fame was due to her hard work and determination; I would say she definitely deserves the recognition. She stood up for her beliefs and acted on social issues, such as climate change. Do you think Vivienne Westwood genuinely deserves the recognition and fame? Or do you think she is perhaps overrated?

Fun fact: Vivienne Westwood’s first job was a primary school teacher!

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Thank you for reading!

Welcome back to my blog! This is the second part of my ‘Break the Fake’ assignment, in which I will be verifying an article about a Spanish non-profit civil rights group (the Safeguard Defenders) claim that there is at least one Chinese secret police station located in Vancouver.

It was previously reported in September 2022 that more than 50 Chinese police operations exist around the world; therefore, I find this article reasonable and, dare I say, true. Although, despite the website’s trustworthy and professional interface, one can never be so sure.

Below is the link to the article that I will be verifying.

At least one Chinese ‘secret police station’ based in Vancouver, civil rights group says

1. Check the source

The first step to verifying your source is to check the source itself. The article was published by Global News, and their website includes links to all of their social media platforms.

On Twitter, there is a blue checkmark beside their username, meaning they are who they claim to be and are most likely reliable.

2. Verify the Source

To verify the source, I searched ‘Global News’ on Wikipedia, and scrolled to the ‘Criticism’ section.

Global News showed footage of violence in the streets of Toronto during the 2010 Winter Olympics, but later denied it as an “unintentional editing error”.

I believe that it was indeed an unintentional editing error, and that they’re still a reliable source.

3. Fact Checking Tools 

Using my favourite fact checking tool, Snopes.com, I searched for ‘chinese police station in Vancouver’, but there were no results.

Instead, I searched for the exact same topic in Google’s News panel and there were many articles regarding the issue. Since there were many articles published by well-known sources, such as CBC, I believe that the article is reliable and true.

4. Check other sources

Using the keywords ‘fake’ and ‘hoax’ allow me to verify other sources for evidence against Global News, as well as other sources, claim of the secret police station.

The results varied, but I checked the relevant sources, and concluded that they are reliable.

In conclusion, I believe this article is TRUE. Many reliable sources, including Global News, have published articles about a Spanish non-profit civil group claiming that there is at least one Chinese secret police station located in Vancouver.

Thank you for reading!