About Anqi Shen

Anqi Shen was a former writer/videographer at the Canadian Women's Foundation. She is passionate about multimedia storytelling, research and policy analysis, and education. She has written and produced content for national news organizations and nonprofits.

Understanding women’s poverty in Canada—and taking action

2017-12-19T17:41:20+00:00July 3, 2015|Women’s poverty|

Woman in black and whiteOver the past 20 years, women have been the biggest driver of household income growth in Canada. During that time, more women have joined the workforce and their incomes have slowly grown, so you would expect that women’s levels of poverty have dropped accordingly—but that’s not the case. Why?

We got some answers from Kate McInturff, senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the keynote speaker at a recent reception hosted by the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

How Wrap-Around Supports Tackle 9 Big Problems Women Face

2017-12-19T17:42:04+00:00June 29, 2015|Infographics, SHE Magazine, Women’s poverty|

9 Big Problems InfographicWomen living on a low income face many barriers to financial stability and independence. When childcare arrangements fall apart or there’s not enough money to pay a dental bill, a woman can find it difficult to finish an economic development program, even when she’s worked hard to earn a spot.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation invests in 3 kinds of women’s economic development programs, focusing on skilled trades, self-employment and social purpose enterprises.

How inclusive programming can strengthen a community

2017-12-19T18:38:23+00:00June 15, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence|

Young womenBeing a newcomer to Canada can be both exciting and daunting. It often means being immersed in a foreign culture and language and, if you’re a teenager, it can feel like you’re straddling two worlds at home and school.

I recently spoke with Gina McKay, a facilitator with the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, about how her organization is working with newcomer and refugee youth. The Canadian Women’s Foundation provides multi-year funding to SERC’s Newcomer Youth & Healthy Relationships program, which serves youth aged 12-17 in two inner-city schools.

How to reach LGBTQ teens when we teach healthy relationships

2017-12-19T18:38:44+00:00June 12, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, How to|

CoupleWhen we talk about healthy relationships, the language we use can make people feel excluded and uncomfortable, or on the other hand, understood and accepted. The same goes for programs that teach young people about healthy relationships: it’s important for these programs to be inclusive of gender and all walks of life.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation invests in Teen Healthy Relationships programs as part of our violence prevention grants. When these programs apply for funding, the Foundation asks them for an inclusion and diversity policy.