Empowering girls Archives - Page 27 of 33 - Canadian Women's Foundation

Our 2015 Breakfast speaker talks women’s empowerment, disability & changing the world through comedy

Our 2015 Breakfast speaker talks women’s empowerment, disability & changing the world through comedy

Jessica Howard2017-12-19T17:35:26+00:00September 28, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Women in media|

What do you do when an obstacle stands between you and your dream? If you’re comedian and actress Maysoon Zayid, you find a way to laugh about it.

“Comedy is all about taking something that is otherwise painful, and spinning it in a way that allows you to laugh it off,” says Maysoon, who will be speaking at the Canadian Women’s Foundation Breakfasts in Calgary on Oct. 22 and Toronto on Oct. 27.

As a Palestinian Muslim woman living with cerebral palsy, Maysoon has scaled her share of obstacles while working toward her dream role: a part on General Hospital. Realizing that she didn’t fit the conventional actress mold, Maysoon looked to role models like Ellen DeGeneres and Gilda Radner. Comedy would be her ticket into the entertainment world.

Introducing 2015’s Michele Landsberg Community Award Winner: The “I Don’t Owe You” Campaign

Introducing 2015’s Michele Landsberg Community Award Winner: The “I Don’t Owe You” Campaign

Anqi Shen2017-12-19T17:36:19+00:00September 22, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence|

Someone helps you with your homework or offers to give you a ride home. You accept. You thank them. You’re texting back and forth, maybe flirting, maybe sending photos of yourself, and you get the sense that they want more. Even though you only wanted the homework help, or the ride, or the sexting, the person feels entitled to your body. And you’re not sure whether they might be right.

These scenarios are not uncommon among youth and young adults. But the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, in Halifax, wants you to know: “No one is entitled to your body—you don’t owe anyone.”

When it comes to consent, we all need to go back to school

When it comes to consent, we all need to go back to school

Diane Hill2017-12-19T17:36:33+00:00September 17, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Sexual abuse, Women in media|

This article was originally published on the Huffington Post.

Well, back-to-school season is in full swing—time for new backpacks, the latest tablet, and trips to IKEA to furnish the dorm room.

It’s also time to talk about sexual consent.

At college and university frosh weeks across Canada, presentations on conversations about consent and rape culture are increasingly being added to the usual picnics, movie nights, and pop up cafes. Some universities have worked with local women’s organizations to create brilliant educational campaigns, like this one at McMaster. At its Ayamdigut campus in Whitehorse, Yukon College made informed consent the centerpiece of its entire orientation week. And it seems some post-secondary institutions will do just about anything to get the kids interested—in Halifax, Mount Saint Vincent University followed its discussion about consent with a round of sex toy bingo.

The Bravest Thing I Ever Did

The Bravest Thing I Ever Did

Erin Burgess2015-09-16T15:13:19+00:00September 16, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, Impact stories, Women’s poverty|

There are hundreds of people in the room, but you can hear a pin drop. There are standing ovations. There are tears of sorrow and joy.

These are some of the unforgettable moments that audiences experience at each Canadian Women’s Foundation Breakfast. It’s the Foundation’s signature fundraising event and, as the Manager of Special Events, I’ve been privileged to run it for the past 12 years.

If you’ve never been to the breakfast, you’re missing out on being a part of something huge. By attending, you are making an investment in the Canadian Women’s Foundation, which will better the lives of women and children across this country.

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