20 Nominations Open For United Way's Inaugural 'Women of Impact' Awards

United Way Peterborough & District has opened nominations for their inaugural ‘Women United’ awards to recognize 20 ladies who have gone above and beyond to make our community a better place.

File Photo.

The women nominated are those who create an impact in Peterborough City and County in politics, the arts and sciences, and several other fields.

“By sharing their stories, we can cement their place in history and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Together we are the impact and we shape the tapestry of and heart of Peterborough City and County,” according to a United Way Statement.

Nominees can be living or deceased. They can be inspired by neighbours, caregivers or volunteers who have:

• dedicated time towards a particular social cause or causes

• demonstrated impact in their profession, organization, or community

• advocated for the representation and empowerment of underrepresented groups

• distinguished themselves on the local/national/international stage

Nominations are open until April 14.

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The Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan’s Red Pashmina Walk Returns

The Peterborough chapter of the Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan are bringing back their Red Pashmina Walk, fundraising for Afghan women and girls on April 30.

photo courtesy of canadian women for women in afghanistan.

The Red Pashmina Walk organized by the Peterborough chapter of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan will also include a sale of red pashminas, natural stone jewellery and books.

This walk has been held in Peterborough since 2011, with a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year is the return of the walk.

Starting at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday April 30, participants can meet for registration at Emmanuel Church church hall (534 George St. N.) At 2 p.m., Afghan female activist Selay Ghaffar will speak.

The walk around East City starts at 3 p.m. and there will be a shorter walk for those who wish to partake.

Proceeds from the walk, pashminas, books, jewellery, etc. go to on-the-ground aid and educational support for women and girls in Afghanistan during this critical time in the country’s history. 

For information and to register ahead of time/get a pledge form, contact Daphne Ingram at 705-656-3820, or via email.

Those looking for further information can visit www.CW4Afghan.ca and/or www.redpashmina.org.

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Cabinetree Peterborough Presents $21,000 To Women in Trades and Technology Programs at Fleming College

Cabinetree Peterborough presented a cheque for $21,000 to Fleming College’s Building Bridges for Women in Trades & Technology program April 6.

photo by felicia massey.

The Building Bridges program encompasses both financial support and mentoring for women wanting a career in male-dominated sectors. Designed to address the gender gap in skilled trades, the program is a part of Fleming’s goal to double the enrolment of women in the School of Trades and Technology.  

Carpentry & Renovation Technician Semester 4 students Zoe Hopewell and Julianna Bruni have each received the scholarship from Cabinetree.  

“This scholarship has enabled me to be focused on school and not worry about working. Building Bridges had opened a lot of new opportunities,” says recipient Zoe Hopewell. “It has given me the opportunity to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity every Friday, where I have gained new experiences and knowledge and is a great addition to my resume. Thank you for you support of women in trades.” 

Cabinetree, a custom cabinet making company in Peterborough, has funded two scholarships for Carpentry & Renovation Technician students who identify as female. Cabinetree also pledged a further $14,000 over the next two years toward the Building Bridges program.  

Cabinetree dedicated an employee, cabinet maker Jessica Downes, to mentor one of the successful scholars.

“This scholarship allowed me to be able to commit my time to school without the worry of not being able to pay for my education. Which in turn, has taken a load of stress off my shoulders and for that I am so grateful,” says recipient Julianna Bruni. “It has also made an impact on me as it has shown me that people want to see me succeed and believe in me. I am so thankful for your support.”

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100 Women Peterborough Raises $10,000 for Peterborough AIDS Resource Network at First Meeting of the Year

The 100 Women Peterborough group came together for their first meeting of the year on March 21 to raise $10,000 for the Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN).

photo courtesy of 100 women peterborough.

PARN was chosen by 100 Women Peterborough’s majority vote to receive the funds. The philanthropic group has supported local charities for five years, and donated over $164,000 to local community causes since its inception in 2018.

Peterborough AIDS Resource Network provides support and health promotion for people who are living with, affected by, or at-risk for HIV in the four counties of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland and Haliburton. They provide education and equipment for people at risk for HIV, hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections.

PARN has been serving the community with both outreach and programming for LGBTQ+ youth and women who are living with, affected by or at-risk for HIV and continue to hold community capacity building projects, workshops and awareness to the broader community. They provide a variety of services including counselling, workshops and information on progression and treatment of the condition for those affected and their families. The organization also provides referrals to service providers, basic necessities to those in need and assistance with other health issues. 

“All donations received will be going to women actively involved with our organization by compensating their time and contribution toward continuously improving the services they want to receive,” said Dane Record, executive director of PARN. 

In PARN’s presentation to the members, Record stated the importance of working with volunteers in the community to fulfill their mission as an organization. 

“The Women’s Advisory and Women In Action committees are two of the most passionate, hardworking committees that show up frequently to lead our community work and continue our mission to prevent new HIV transmissions and promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Peterborough City and County,” said Record.

“Our philosophy at 100 Women Peterborough is to come together as a group to make a big impact. Through our giving group we not only empower women to engage in philanthropy in a meaningful way that is budget friendly, but we also provide a quick, easy and transparent way for the charities to access donors and funding,” says Rose Terry, one of the founding members of 100 Women Peterborough. “We are providing a space for the collective voice to be heard.”

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Embrace Equity in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough With Free International Women's Day Community Events

The Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC) and the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre (KSAC) are hosting two free International Women’s Day (IWD) community events celebrating the theme Embrace Equity in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough.

photo courtesy of Kawartha World Issues Centre.

The first event is a community march/rally on March 8 from noon to 1 p.m., and the second event will explore Diverse Youth Voices in Leadership with guest speaker Cheyenne Sundance on March 9 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day is recognized worldwide to acknowledge the historical and ongoing work towards women’s equality and social justice. The day was created by the United Nations in 1977 to increase awareness on the vital role of women in peace efforts and development, with aims to end discrimination and achieve women’s full and equal contribution to the world.

The daytime rally and march on will be hosted in-person, starting downtown at Peterborough Square Courtyard and traveling North along the sidewalks of George Street to Confederation Park, across from City Hall. Once reaching City Hall Town Ward City Councillor Joy Lachica will speak, and local poet Emily Cleary will do a short reading.

The second, evening event will be hosted in a hybrid format with community members having the opportunity to join online via Zoom or in person at the Lion’s Community Centre (347 Burnham St.) The event will be hosted by CRRC Coordinator Czarina Garcia, and will feature an opening drum from Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle and an opening welcome by Anne Taylor of Curve Lake First Nation. Peterborough's First Poet Laureate Sarah Lewis will also be performing an original piece written for this event.

The majority of the event will be guest speaker Cheyenne Sundance. Sundance, the 25 year-old executive director of Sundance Harvest and full-time farmer of a three-location farm in south western Ontario, will speak on Diverse Youth Voices in Leadership. Following the presentation, there will be a 20-minute open space discussion period and the evening will wrap up with a closing prayer.

Registration is required through Eventbrite.

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INSPIRE Announces First Annual International Women’s Day Event in Peterborough

INSPIRE is hosting their first annual International Women’s Day event on March 8 at the Waterfront Holiday Inn in Peterborough; seeking to inspire local women through the theme of equity.  

Photo courtesy of INSPIRE, Facebook.

Photo courtesy of INSPIRE, Facebook.

The six workshops at this event will be facilitated by inspiring female community leaders Angie Ross, Anne Taylor, Erica Richmond, Rose Terry, Rebecca Turland and Lindsay Dixon. An Artisan’s Market, featuring the works of 25 local makers, will be set up to give participants the opportunity to connect with local artisans. Megan Murphy; talented Peterborough Actor, Filmmaker, Author and Comedian will have the reins as the Emcee and Host for the day. 

The event features talks by Ashley Lamothe; winner of the PKCC 2022 President’s Award and CEO of Creative Kwe, Keynote Speaker Susan Aglukark, O.C., LL.B, Award Winning Inuk singer-songwriter and will be Emcee/Hosted by Peterborough actor, filmmaker, author and comedian Megan Murphy.

The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 of ‘equity’ is one of INSPIRE’s core values. Building on this theme, INSPIRE has created a unique and purposeful event which encourages participants to celebrate themselves and the strong women, young girls and nonbinary individuals in our communities.

INSPIRE says that tickets have been shared with local community partners, ensuring that all who wish to join have the opportunity to participate. Tickets can be purchased online at an Early Bird Price of $60 until Feb. 18.  

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City of Peterborough Receives $10,000 Grant For Canadian Women in Local Leadership

The City of Peterborough has received a grant of $10,000 from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Canadian Women in Local Leadership Fund for its project, ‘Faces of Leadership’ announced on Monday.

File photo.

Faces of Leadership is a collaboration between the City and the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. It supports the development of a more diverse and inclusive understanding of leadership and will empower participants from equity-deserving groups with the knowledge, confidence, and opportunity to see themselves as leaders in our community according to the City of Peterborough.

This project focuses on women and gender-diverse individuals who experience barriers to leadership opportunities due to the intersectionality of race, gender, (dis)ability, class, and age, among other social factors as stated in the press release.

The first phase of this project from October to December 2022, identifies current leadership development models in marginalized communities and explores where leadership is learned and what is needed to cultivate leadership skills.

The project will also map the diverse journeys that are taken, particularly by Black, Indigenous, (and) People of Color (BIPOC) and members of equity-deserving groups, to arrive at leadership positions.

The second phase for January to June involves the design and delivery of a community-led Leadership Circle – a series of six interactive workshops that will be informed by the findings from the first phase of the project according to the press release.

The Leadership Circle supports participants in confidence-building and leadership skills and connecting with existing and emerging leaders in the community. Participants will be provided with opportunities to intern with a City committee, shadow a local leader, and engage with City staff. An artist rendition of the participants’ experiences and their “faces” of leadership will be revealed at an end-of-project celebration at City Hall.

“Being involved as a leader in the community can be a stepping stone on the path to municipal leadership,” Reem Ali, city diversity, equity and inclusion officer. “We know that this was indeed the case for many of our female municipal, provincial, and federal leaders. This project intends to help participants become more confident in seeing themselves as leaders in our community – in envisioning the feasibility of holding a municipal leadership position as a goal that is achievable and in getting them started on this journey.”

“A large number of women and gender-diverse individuals work in the charitable sector, and yet we see a lack in bodies that support and strengthen leadership for this group, whether at the national or local levels,” Jennifer DeBues, executive director, Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough. We seem to also be missing a clear theory of change that speaks to growing this type of leadership. Our project can help reveal some strategies for incorporating such theories and supports at the organizational and community levels. Growing this capacity means growing the path for leadership for people who not only work at these organizations but for those who are also supported by them.”

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United Way Launches New Initiative to Support Local Women and Girls

The United Way Peterborough and District launched ‘Women United’ on Wednesday, an initiative that aims to drive social and economic change, break down barriers and improve the lives of women and girls in the community.

Former Peterborough-Kawartha Maryam Monsef (middle) founded ‘ONWARD’, a venture that connects, inspires and empowers female leaders in early July of this year. Photo by Felicia Massey.

They offer mentorship and allyship for women and girls in vulnerable circumstances through financial support and advocacy.

“Women and children in our community are hurting. We saw through the pandemic that single moms, black, Indigenous radicalized folks, those with disabilities, particularly women, were going to be hit hardest,” said Maryam Monsef, Women United founding chair. “Women felt more vulnerable and were more vulnerable and so were their children.”

Members and donor support help the United Way to fund programs through the Culinary Collective and Elizabeth Fry Society.

The United Way says a significant portion of investments goes towards their 20 partner agencies, 14 led by women.

“The pandemic showed us that all that hurt, all that pain and all that suffering, that women’s leadership is key to recovery,” said Monsef. “When women are doing well, the multiple organizations in our community including United Way and other agencies led strongly by women are better off.”

Every six days a woman in Canada is killed by her domestic partner according to statistics presented by the United Way. Emergency housing for these women and their children is often less accessible than housing for men, says Betsy Farrar, United Way manager of community impact.

She notes that the current Point In Time count of those experiencing homelessness proves that women are less likely than men to seek these services.

“The research shows that women avoid co-ed shelters due to past experiences of violence within those settings and locally, there’s just not enough options for women to access emergency shelters,” said Farrar.

Farrar says there are 32 beds designated to men, 32 co-ed beds, and seven women-exclusive beds in local emergency shelters.

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Douro-Dummer Woman Receives Order Of Canada

Doctor Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ McGregor of Douro-Dummer was awarded the Order of Canada, in a list released on Wednesday.

Dr. McGregor was awarded the Order of Canada for her promotion of women in science and for her commitment to nurturing Canada's next generation of leaders.

She is the author of "Women on the Ballot: Pathways to Political Power" featuring 95 powerful personal stories across Canada at different levels of politics and party affiliations and capturing five decades of gender leadership advice.

Her LinkedIn profile boasts an extensive list of experiences and qualifications.

Dr. McGregor is the head coach for Team Canada Special Olympics Soccer, and has been since 2009. She is on the board of directors for the Rotary Club of Peterborough, and has received many awards and recognitions.

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order and the second highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.

It recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community, and service to the nation.

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Fleming To Host Third Annual FemSTEAM Summit

In celebration of International Day of the Girl, Fleming College will host the third annual FemSTEAM Summit to encourage women to pursue careers in science, technology and trades, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) on Wednesday.

Photo Courtesy of Fleming College.

FemSTEAM was started by three local businesswomen three years ago to encourage young girls in the region to consider STEAM fields and skill-oriented careers through mentorship, events, education and outreach activities. Fleming College and Trent University alternate hosting the annual summit, with Fleming organizing the first one on campus in 2019, followed by a virtual event last year by Trent. Due to the pandemic restrictions, this year’s event will be virtual.

“It is expected that 50 per cent of jobs in society will be related to fields of STEM study,” states Rhonda Barnet, a FemSTEAM founder and president and COO, AVIT Manufacturing. “Women in North America make up 48 per cent of the workforce. Yet they make up less than 30 per cent of STEAM graduates and only 23 per cent of science and technology workers around the world. In response to these staggering statistics, FemSTEAM’s mission is to move the dial on girls in Canada entering post-secondary studies in STEAM.”

Teachers and students from local school boards are invited to attend the event. Fleming President Maureen Adamson and Cathy Bruce, Vice President of Research and Innovation at Trent University will provide the welcome remarks. The agenda for the morning includes keynote addresses by Nicole Verkindt, founder of OMX Offset Market Exchange, and Jamie McMillan, founder of Kickass Careers, virtual tours of Fleming College and Trent University, and a panel featuring current students and graduates from both institutions.

Panellists include:

• Krista Scaldwell, vice-president of communications and public affairs, Canada Life

• Joanne Dereta, principal and managing director, CI Private Wealth

• Sarah Aftergood, director of environmental permitting, Orsted Onshore North America

• Mackenzie Barclay, Welding & Fabrication Technician student

• Emma Tozer, Electrical Engineering Technician student

• Rebecca Yaxley, Carpentry Apprentice

“Our goal at Fleming is to provide equal opportunities for women to pursue and thrive in STEAM careers,” said Pam Stoneham, Dean, School of Trades and Technology at Fleming. “The female enrolment in trades and technology programs at the College is currently around nine per cent. We believe initiatives like the FemSTEAM Symposium and Mentor Mondays will contribute to our goal of doubling that number by 2026.”

“At Trent University, we have many state-of-the-art and renowned facilities and over 100 academic programs–all accessible by our students so they can get hands-on experience in the fascinating fields of the sciences, technology, engineering, the arts, and math,” notes Cathy Bruce, vice president of research and innovation at Trent University. “As a mathematician and mathematics educator, I know first-hand how transformational it can be for students to study alongside renowned professors who are also leaders in their fields. Trent University takes those student experiences very seriously.”

More than 600 students are expected to watch the event from the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland and Clarington Catholic School Board. Students from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board will also participate. This year’s virtual event will reach more than 1,000 grade seven and eight students in the area.

The virtual FemSTEAM Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 13 begins at 9:30 a.m. For more information and to join the live stream, please visit www.femsteam.ca.

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