It's time we think outside the box.
It's time we Think Women
Think Women is a space where equity meets networking. The non-profit sector has been wracked with division, competition, and unsustainable strategies. It’s time we think outside the box, it’s time we Think Women.
In order to build a stronger, more equitable non-profit sector across the nation; we must first build stronger, more equitable organizations. This starts with us and it starts now.
Meet the team !
We are a strong team of four who work at the Women’s Economic Council. We each have an area of expertise that allows us to bring a unique and fresh perspective to this project. From facilitating nation-wide conversations, drafting reports, creating our brand identity and overseeing the intricacies of the project, our team is strong and collaborative.
Serah Gazali | Program and Impact Director
Esther Germain | Community Engagement Coordinator
Romina Landaure | Co-Manager
Sarah Abdelshamy | Communications Coordinator
PERMANENT RESSOURCES
Check out our latest report published under the umbrella of our Think Women project where we highlight key concerns, challenges, and practices shared by various non-profit organizations that are women and equity focused.
In 2022, we organized two capacity-building series– one on risk and financial management and the other on board governance and succession planning. Each series spanned accross multiple weeks and was led by experts in the field.
As part of our vision to build capacity for the non-profit sector at large, we want to make these sessions available for all organizations that are registered in our network. We will be launching our Google Classroom in the new 2023 year!
OUR IMPACT
Think Women is, in may ways, a multifaceted project that spans across different segments of our community. Our impact could be quantified through the increasing number of participants in our National Meetings, the number of organizations who have committed to our series on capacity-building, among others. Use the arrows on the left-side to take a peak at our accomplishments!
We have facilitated a number of national meetings where we carefully create a shared space where nonprofit organizations can disclose structural and daily challenges that have been aggravated by the pandemic, and share best practices to drive a long-term strategy that addresses the impact of the pandemic on women from equity-seeking groups and the organizations that serve them.
This capacity-building series was led by Kelly Sloan – an expert in the field who provides non-profit organisations with guidance in a variety of areas and also provides leadership coaching to leaders in the non-profit sector.
Non-profit organizations learned more about risk management for their organizations, and risk assessment cycles in HR, PR, and finances!
This series was led by Audrey Wubbenhorst – a professor and board director who has worked with many organizations and has helped them assess board effectiveness, develop better governance structures, and build high-performing boards.
Each session focuses on a specific topic – ranging from how to build an inclusive board to succession planning and were catered to participants who had the opportunity to book 1-on-1 appointments with Audrey for specific advice.
In fall of 2022, we hosted our very first in-person networking event in Montreal where we were joined by over a dozen non-profit organizations. This massive success has allowed us to connect with so many organizations in Quebec and develop meaningful relations and collaborations with them.
We closed off 2022 with one final Think Women event: we hosted a third national meeting where we invited panelists to discuss the systemic and economic challenges that are unique to the LGBTQ+ community. We opened up the Q&A to attendees which led to a dynamic conversation about the importance of inclusion and diversity in leadership.
Panelists:
Tracy London JD, MSW (She/Her), Co-Executive Director of Education & Engagement at QMUNITY, BC’s Queer, Trans & Two-Spirit Resource Centre
Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah (She/Her/Elle), Executive Director at The Canadian Centre for Gender & Sexual Diversity
Donny Potts (He/Him), Vice President of the Pflag Canada
Philip Lowrie (He/Him), Chair of the Alberta LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce
FAQ :
Who is invited to the Think Women network?
Nonprofit organizations that serve women, including women from equity-seeking groups: BIPOC, 2SLGBTQI, low-income women, women with disabilities, and francophone minorities. Don’t think this applies to you? Reach out to estherg@womenseconomiccouncil.ca, our goal is to welcome everyone who has an interest in joining the network.
What do I get?
- Engage with a wide network of organizations that serve women across Canada and share best practices, emerging issues, and stay up-to-date with trends that might impact your services or program delivery
- Support the advancement of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and the development of programs that support women
- Increase the visibility of your organization
- Participate in shaping policies that impact women
How can you participate in the network?
- Attend our quarterly national meetings to discuss the impact of the pandemic on women’s economic security, and share emerging issues, trends, recommendations, and best practices in response to the crisis.
- Join one of the working groups that focus on the economic impact of COVID-19 on specific underrepresented groups.
- Join our free-of-cost capacity-building training to achieve your mission. Only small and medium organizations that support women from equity-seeking groups can join (spots are limited, so register now!)