WOC-led psychedelics conference champions gender equality with all-female speakers

It’s no secret that cannabis and psychedelics conferences have an imbalance in gender representation: the overwhelming majority of speakers are men. A grassroots organization is working to break the 8:1 average male to female presenter ratio.

Sisters In Psychedelics (SIP) aims to turn the tables in a big way at its inaugural summit on September 10th – with an all-female lineup of presenters.

Bea Chan and Dana Harvey founded SIP last year with the aim of creating safe and intimate spaces for women interested in psychedelics to gather, share stories and learn from each other, and to contribute to solving the problem of gender inequality in to contribute to the psychedelics sphere.

From community potluck to WOC-led psychedelics summit

Chan and Harvey’s Vancouver-based SIP initiative, which began as a meetup group in November 2021 and began with a potluck dinner, has since grown into a global community of people who identify and advocate for the intentional use of women Psychedelics interest and inspire chapters in Australia, South, America and across Canada and the United States.

“What we’re trying to achieve here at SIP is really a balance, not just in the genders in the psychedelic ecosystem, but also in the underrepresented voices of all BIPOC people and people in marginalized communities,” Chan Leafly said in a Zoom interview.

“We believe that safe spaces are so important for people who share the experience of being a woman to come together safely and vulnerable, especially in light of recently uncovered ethical breaches in this area,” Harvey added, highlighting the issue of abuse of psychedelics therapy.

“The other side is the larger vision, which is made up of more balanced voices and perspectives, and part of that is elevating and celebrating the voices of women in the room,” adds Chan.

A safe place to talk nonjudgmentally about psychedelics

The circles offer participating women an opportunity to network in an informal setting and speak openly about their psychedelic experiences.

“That social element is an important part because a lot of women don’t have friends or family that they can talk openly with about what they’re experiencing with herbal medicines,” explained Harvey.

Chan, a community builder, advocate, and former HR professional, and Harvey, an educator and former C-suite manager, not only host workshops and social events, but also host regular integration circles for BIPOC women, psychedelic professionals, and mothers.

“We realize that we cannot create balance in a silo alone. It requires everyone to come together,” said Harvey, who added that SIP will soon be launching mixed-gender and male-only integration circles with a similar vision.

On September 11th, SIP will host Vancouver’s first psychedelic walking tour, giving attendees the opportunity to tour local clinics and mushroom dispensaries that are Summit partners.

Learn about microdosing, sex, spirituality and more

The Vancouver Summit will feature a full-day series of panels with all-female speakers, fireside chats, one-on-one presentations and plenty of networking and question-raising opportunities. (Full disclosure: I will be moderating a panel on transformative psychedelic experiences.)

“The content is for everyone. For example, when we talk about PTSD and parenting, or money and trauma, all genders can relate.”

explains Chan.

It should go without saying, but men and non-binary people are welcome too. Although all of the speakers are women, Chan stressed that many of the issues to be discussed will also be relevant to men.

“I called it our ‘unconference.’ It won’t be a one-sided monologue, but more of a dialogue. A feeling that we are in a circle and in a community.” The conference will also incorporate a breathwork session, movement breaks and music into the day’s activities.

Insights offered through a woman’s lens could inspire members of the audience to look at the issues at hand in new ways, Chan said. Additional panels and keynotes will explore topics such as microdosing, sex and psychedelics, accessibility, spirituality and ethics, and inclusion.

The day begins with an opening ceremony led by Musqueam activist Audrey Siegl, followed by a keynote presentation by Dr. Pamela Kryskow, Physician, Psychedelics Researcher and Therapist.

Other speakers will include psychedelic integration trainer Deborah Servetnick, UN correspondent and global drug policy analyst Sara Brittany Somerset, psychotherapist Ally Smith and counselor Fabiola Pérez, among others.

And like most industry events, the SIP Summit ends with an after-party, although this one promises to be a little different: attendees can look forward to live music, aerial artists and psychic readings.

It’s been a wild ride for Chan and Harvey, who didn’t expect their local gathering group to grow so quickly. With their first pillar event around the corner, they are eager to keep up the momentum and look forward to continued growth.

“It all unfolded before us and we just followed the road that was meant for us. We serve the mushrooms, the women, space in general, and we do what we hear is necessary,” Harvey said.

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