I saw myself floundering when I had to assert the need for space for the group. I am so used to working with few resources and devaluing my work because of it, that I didn't insist that "I need space to do my important work." Like many women I shy away from conflict and was afraid to ask the group for help or suggest that staff work at home while the group was going on or some such solution. Instead, I grumbled and complained and listened to others while they did the same but I did not move any closer to a solution. It was up to me to demonstrate how much I value my work when things got tough. We all put up with less benefits, salary, time, materials, and space than we need. Why is literacy work a woman-dominated field?

I think many of us chose to work in literacy because we wanted to work in an alternative educational environment with women, where there is no standard of formal training, and the work is not constrained by national professional associations. But I wonder how many of us feel insecure and unable to insist on the , value of our work for those very same reasons? If we can't value our own needs as women workers, how can we authentically value the needs of the women in our program? This became clear when I realized that some group members were being obstructed from coming because of lack of space. Staff were used to putting up with the noise and inconvenience of lack of space and expected everyone else to. We would never expect to be given a classroom or confidential sound barriers to do our educational work like certified teachers. Yet the learners are the ones who really take the brunt of it all.

Conclusion

While I do have many ongoing frustrations, I rediscovered in the last year and a half why I love this work. To my credit and to the credit of all the women involved, despite a series of personal crises and this funding glitch, despite working with crying babies and frustrated staff the group completed two books, launched with a little pizzazz.

I felt good as I watched the women's outlook change from disbelief to pride around the book project. We had an honourable mention in the House of Commons. One woman said that "it was the best night of my life, but don't tell my husband." We laughed.

Some of the women in the group developed good friendships. I saw some women decide that yes, it was OK to take some power in their lives and make some changes. This year, the whole group has decided to do a Wen Do women's self-defence course together. (Last year there were just three of us.) One woman asked to co-facilitate the group with me. Two of the women have become members on our Board of Directors and are active on many committees. Many of them do public speaking engagements on behalf of Action Read. And the group's plans are growing every day.