Empowering girls Archives - Page 27 of 34 - Canadian Women's Foundation

T-shirt project teaches girls to wear confidence proudly

T-shirt project teaches girls to wear confidence proudly

Jessica Howard2017-12-19T17:33:06+00:00October 15, 2015|Empowering girls, Impact stories, SHE Magazine, Women in media|

What happens when you put girls in charge of the messages on their clothing?

All kinds of amazing things, discovered Lorna Jones, an elementary-school teacher in Toronto.

Lorna has watched girls develop confidence, awareness, creativity, and connection through the As We Are T-shirt project, which she developed with the support of Canadian Women’s Foundation and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

In As We Are workshops, girls age 9 to 13 are encouraged to analyze the messages they see in both clothing and in the media. Then, they get to brainstorm together and design T-shirts bearing positive messages.

What the Hashtag: Are you #UpforDebate?

What the Hashtag: Are you #UpforDebate?

Amber Minnings2017-12-19T17:34:56+00:00September 30, 2015|Empowering girls, Gender-based violence, What the Hashtag, Women in media, Women’s poverty|

With a federal election just weeks away, September’s online feminist activism was politically charged.

Much of the conversation centred around Up for Debate’s sold out event in Toronto and related events across the country. This meant that #UpforDebate became a unifying hashtag for women’s advocates in Canada.

Throughout September, organizations and individuals organized events focussing on women’s political representation and participation, and a host of gendered issues. For example, Whitby, Stratford and London hosted all candidates meetings on issues important to women, Halifax hosted a candidate’s debate on women’s issues, and Vancouver hosted a public education event on women's equality and why your vote counts.

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.”

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