Empowering women through advocacy and education.

How do we ensure our CFUW Ontario Council Clubs are truly welcoming, accessible, and representative of the vibrant communities we serve across Ontario?

As our Clubs continue to advocate for women's rights, education, and social justice, expanding our outreach to women of diverse cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, age groups, and abilities remains a vital priority. To support Club executive teams, membership chairs, and program committees, Ontario Council has created a comprehensive Club Diversity and Inclusion Action Guide.

Key highlights covered in the new guide include:

• Community Outreach & Partnerships: Showing up at local community events, inviting diverse businesswomen to present at monthly meetings, and utilizing public library spaces.

• Youth Engagement: Providing community service hour opportunities for high school students and inviting them and their families to year-end club events.

• Universal Accessibility: Ensuring physical meeting locations are fully accessible and proactively accommodating Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, and low-vision participants.

• Civic Advocacy: Supporting female political candidates on a non-partisan basis and building strong relationships with local women’s shelters.

Indigenous Veterans Day is observed on November 8, to recognize the courage and sacrifice of First Nation, Inuit and Métis people in military service. It is estimated that, in total, over 12,000 Indigenous people have volunteered their services on the front lines, serving in all conflicts that Canada has been involved in.

On the home front, Indigenous people donated large amounts of money, clothing and food to worthy causes. Indigenous women had important roles during conflicts — serving as nurses, air traffic controllers and radio operators. 

Canadians recognize Remembrance Day, originally called Armistice Day, every 11 November at 11 a.m. It marks the end of hostilities during the First World War and an opportunity to recall all those who have served in the nation’s defence.”

On the 11th hour of the 11day of the 11th month we pause for two minutes of silence to pay tribute to all Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, to veterans of wars and to those who have served in peace. Ceremonies are held throughout the country. Locations throughout Ontario can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/remembrance-day.

Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week Act, 2024

Remembrance Day commemorates the armistice signed to end the First World War at 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918, being the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of that year.

The people of Ontario must never forget the extraordinary courage and profound sacrifice made by the men and women who bravely and unselfishly gave their lives for and served Canada in times of war and in peace.

As a gesture of respect for them, it is appropriate to proclaim the week preceding Remembrance Day in each year as Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week to recognize veterans and to honour the memory of those who gave their lives by observing two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day itself.

Poppies are worn during Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week as a symbol of remembrance, appreciation and respect.  (https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s24022) 

During our first Speakers’ Session of the year, we heard from the professionals. Peggy Sattler MPP, Ted Hsu MPP and Chris King Constituents Assistant shared some ideas about how to be heard and advance our goals.

Each of the participants were involved in advancing Private Members Bills. They reminded us that it may take a couple of parliamentary sessions before we achieve our goal. They also explained that an amendment to a Government Bill might get you close to your goal so consider that option.

Some advice:

• Make sure you can articulate your issue in a couple of sentences

• Ask for a deliverable (What do you want to see done)

• Ask for an in-person meeting but a zoom meeting might be just as effective and easier to  achieve

• Hold a premeeting planning session

• Choose a spokesperson or two

• Leave the Member with something to remind them of your goal

• Personal letters are more persuasive than form letters.

• If your issue is going to be discussed at a Standing Committee ask to be heard or at least make submissions

• Recognize that you are not the only group asking for support so be patient. But do follow-up and reach out to staff in a reasonable time frame.

• Try and get other organizations to join in pursuing your goal

• Expand your presence by having clubs from different ridings make presentations to their MPPs

• Always try and get press.

When planning an innovative don’t forget that Ontario Council Committee Chairs may be able

to help because there maybe other clubs pursing similar goals. We can share tools and learn

from each other.

Submitted by Niki Carlan, Legislation Chair, Ontario Council

The 2026 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence runs from November 25 to December 10, 2026. The official UNiTE campaign theme is “UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls: Ensure justice, protect survivors, end impunity”, focusing on removing legal, social, and digital barriers to justice.

The CFUW Ontario Council Advocacy Brief urging our provincial government to Declare the Epidemic: Ending Intimate Partner Violence in Ontario is posted on our website, along with further information on this important topic.

Links to the recording and notes from our October 24thSpeaker Series, Leading Change Through Legislation, with a focus on how our voices can be effectively amplified to focus on issues such as Intimate Partner Violence, can be found on the OC website as well.

Key dates

November 25: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

• This day raises global awareness of GBV. It was designated in 1999 by the United Nations General Assembly. The date of November 25 commemorates the lives of the Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic who were violently assassinated in 1960.

December 6: National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women

• In Canada, this day honours the 14 women killed in the Polytechnique Montréal massacre on December 6, 1989, and calls for action against GBV.

December 10: Human Rights Day

• This day marks the anniversary of the United Nations adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. This document affirms the rights and dignity of all people and is a milestone in the history of human rights. It has been translated in over 500 languages, holding the Guinness World Record as the most translated document.

Looking for how your club can take action? Check out CFUW National's  toolkit, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence

by Kathy Wosnick, Advocacy Chair

Part Two of this series shows how to re-engage experienced women leaders who have stepped back. Offer them fresh, systems-level challenges such as advocacy and cross-sector work, then give them real autonomy, peer networks and the freedom to shape their own initiatives, rather than more of the same work.

Read Part 1 HERE