2016
Project: St. John’s Celebrating the Legacy of Women’s Leadership project
Organization: YWCA
The YWCA was allocated 15,000$ for “St. John’s for Celebrating the Legacy of Women’s Leadership”, a mentorship, leadership training, and networking program that ran throughout a year. The project was focused on celebrating the roles women have played in developing our community and our province, creating support networks, and building new mentorship and peer support opportunities for women.
Through this project, the YWCA hosted networking events that engaged the community in discussions of women’s leadership on four topics; Fishing, Municipal Politics, Midwifery, and Arts & Culture. Each of these events hosted anywhere from 18 to 25 attendees who varied in age from young women to older adults. Events were held at Quidi Vidi Brewery, at the NL Housing and Homelessness Network’s Learning Centre, and at Memorial University. Each event was formatted in a way so that participants had the opportunity to learn more about the topic, while also celebrating women who have demonstrated leadership in the specified area.
The goals of this project were to engage citizens and teach them about women that have shaped and continue to shape our community. The project also aimed to strengthen existing support networks among women in our community, and to build mentorship and peer support opportunities for women.
“I think the reflection on women who have paved the way in the art’s community was especially inspiring. Often women’s experiences are erased in history and the recognition of that was very powerful and really highlighted the importance of honoring women who may not always get recognition.” – Storytelling: Celebrating Women and Gender Non- Conforming Folks Leadership in Arts & Culture Participant