“At the beginning of the Gulf War, in 1991, it was still a policy [at the CBC] not to allow women to go. I had a meltdown. I said, you know, I understand that you need a penis in order to go and do this story. I understand that’s the case. But you can go and buy them on Yonge Street. So I will go and purchase a penis and I will carry it around in my handbag if you’d like. But send me to this bloody story!”
–Carol Off
Carol Off is a renowned journalist and radio host who started in radio in 1980. Having reported from numerous conflict zones around the world, Carol explains how female foreign correspondents could often get better stories due to their access to the human stories behind the larger conflict. She tells us how it was necessary for her not to think too much about the sexism that pervaded the workplace in earlier decades in order not to ‘go nuts’. Despite the obstacles, Carol says she was able to accomplish every single one of her goals, and that the radio industry is a great place for women today.
