My Positionality, My Perspective

I am a Filipino woman, daughter, sister, wife and parent of three boys. My social location shapes how I see the world and how I work in public health. I am a nurse and manager in a hierarchical public health organization in Toronto, Ontario. My focus is on child and family health, policy, issues management and community engagement through partnerships with City divisions, schools, healthcare providers and local organizations. My work is about promoting health equity, addressing systemic barriers and influencing behaviour change at the community level (Nixon, 2020; Sibbald et al., 2025).

My positionality comes from my lived experiences as a woman of colour, the daughter of immigrants and a mother navigating the healthcare system both professionally and personally. These identities make me very aware of issues such as access, cultural responsiveness and equity in health services (Secules et al., 2021; Nixon, 2019). I also recognize that my professional authority and privilege carry responsibility. I try to listen, learn from and amplify the voices of those most affected by health inequities (Nixon, 2019).

I approach health promotion as a lifelong learner. I reflect on my work, look for ways to grow and stay open to new ideas. I am aware of my biases and assumptions and actively seek perspectives that differ from my own. This helps me make sure my work contributes in a meaningful way to health equity (Sibbald et al., 2025; Secules et al., 2021). Outside of work, spending time with family, friends and exploring new cultural experiences broadens my understanding of communities and enriches my perspective (Nixon, 2020).

Thinking about my positionality helps me stay aware of how my identity, experiences and role shape my work in public health. It keeps me mindful of my place in the systems I navigate and pushes me to reflect on how I can promote equity in meaningful ways.

References

Nixon, S. A. (2019). The coin model of privilege and critical allyship: Implications for health. BMC Public Health, 19(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7884-9

Nixon, S. (2020). Understanding the role of privilege in relation to public health ethics and practice [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/a30a_NiT5zc

Secules, S., McCall, C., Mejia, J. A., Beebe, C., Masters, A. S., Sánchez-Peña, M. L., & Svyantek, M. (2021). Positionality Practices and Dimensions of Impact on Equity Research: A Collaborative Inquiry and Call to the Community. Journal of Engineering Education, 110(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20377

Sibbald, K. R., Phelan, S. K., Beagan, B. L., & Pride, T. M. (2025). Positioning Positionality and Reflecting on Reflexivity: Moving From Performance to Practice. Qualitative Health Research, 10497323241309230. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323241309230