At the BC Rural Health Network, we are incredibly fortunate to learn from and work with strong and inspiring women across the province who are actively working to change the systems in which we operate, improving equitable access to care, including healthcare professionals, local and provincial leaders, policy makers, grassroots volunteers, educators, advocates, board members, and more. One of these women who has dedicated her life to advocacy, learning, education and equity, is our director, Jane Osborne.
Jane is an artist of relationships and observer and friend of four legged and feathered creatures. She brings all of these talents and passions to her work in community because of a personal experience with a woman in her seventies who was abused by her husband. She didn’t know where to go to find support and the search led her to the adult guardianship field. She has spent decades involved in the restorative justice and more recently entered the reconciliation and anti-racism world which allows her to explore her personal history and privilege. This in turn enables her to bring her whole being to the process of envisioning and supporting collective action around the social determinants of health and advocacy for full inclusion of marginalized populations.
Jane believes that her passion for equity and her lifelong commitment to advocating for marginalized populations, restorative justice, harm reduction and community health stems from her mother’s ability to speak out and stand up for what she believed in, regardless of the status quo at the time which meant a life in the suburbs raising children without a car and a broad community of supports.
In addition to her role with the BC Rural Health Network, Jane is a member of the Board of the Restorative Justice Association of BC and the Provincial Restorative Justice Committee and she is also the co-lead of the Transportation working group of the United Way’s Healthy Aging initiative where she focuses on rural and remote communities (including First Nations) and on queer/trans or racialized individuals within communities. She is passionately engaged with several of the Community Health Networks on Vancouver Island and most recently travelled up to Port Hardy (Mount Waddington Community Health Network) for Rosaline Glynn’s Coronation medal award ceremony; a trip that reminded her of the transportation challenges in accessing health care for people in these remote communities.
In her work with restorative justice, Jane is committed to equity and understanding that often, the perpetrator of a crime is also a victim; a victim of social inequity, mistreatment, lack of social supports, discrimination, etc. When we apply an intersectional lens, we can see the clear connection between restorative justice, community health and equitable access to healthcare, harm reduction, and social support networks. When we work to support the most vulnerable and equity-deserving members of our communities, we in turn support everyone. Thank you, Jane! For your compassion, your passion, and your commitment to equity!
