Education | Action | Advocacy |
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Women Helping Women for a Better Future |
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CFUW Ontario Council News |
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In this Issue
- Ontario Council President's Message
- Notice & registration for the February 27th Speakers Series
- Notice for the 2021 AGM
- Advocacy News
- Governance Corner
- OC Recognition Awards
- OC Resolution Process
- Ontario Club News!
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Ontario Council President's Message |
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The last nine months of pandemic and lockdowns has impacted women and their health – especially their mental health. With the loss of employment (relatively higher for women than men), the additional duties of caring for grandchildren or the family elders, the helping of children at home with on line schooling or loss of day care, and or the struggles of managing to work from home coupled with the aforementioned responsibilities -- have taken their toll.
The consequences are staggering as noted by experts. “…full lockdowns have increased and heightened stress…creating a parallel co- pandemic,” according to Dr. Bianca Perry from the University of South Africa. Dr. Perry spoke in a session entitled Global Mental Health in a Global Pandemic: Understanding the Impact of Covid-19 on Women's Psychosocial Wellbeing sponsored by the NGO-CSW NY (Commission of Status of Women /New York). She cited that more women became unemployed during this pandemic which has led to the rise of at home abuse, anxiety, and essential services being stretched.
Also speaking in the webinar was Dr. Judy Kuriansky of the International Association of Applied Psychology and World Council for Psychotherapy. She cited that society relies more on women which in turn leads to more stress. Then there is what she calls the “shadow pandemic”-- violence and at home abuse against women.
According to studies, the pandemic has been especially difficult for women who were in precarious social and economic situations prior to the onset of the pandemic (women without a college degree, women working in the service industry). And there are of course the women who were already struggling with mental health issues.
What does it mean to have mental health issues? How do we identify or pinpoint ‘that something is wrong’ – and not just having a bad day? Has this pandemic created a mental health concern for you or someone you know?
Our final Speakers Series of the term (February 27) will focus on women’s mental health. Two of our panelists will speak of their lived experiences with mental health struggles and how they have overcome them, and how they are helping others. Our expert from CAMH will speak to awareness and health systems to support women in crisis.
All of these health issues bring to mind a quote I read, “One by One. Day by Day. Inhale. Exhale. That’s the Way.” Please join us on February 27.
Sandra Thomson, President, CFUW Ontario Council President
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February 27th Speakers Series
Mental Health
From Prevention to Wellness
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February 27, 2021
10 AM – 12:30 PM
Please register by 5 p.m. on February 26, 2021
Our February 27th Speakers Series features three compelling speakers: Jennifer Pereira-Ashawasegai, an Anishinabek citizen from Henvey Inlet First Nation in Ontario, Kendra Fisher, a women’s ice hockey goaltender, and Lori Spadorcia, Chief Strategy Officer at CAMH. The topic is mental health, moving from prevention to wellness.
The Waiting Room for the ZOOM meeting will be open at 9:45 AM on Saturday February 27th. Please connect to the ZOOM meeting a few minutes before 10 AM on the 27th, so that all participants can be admitted prior to the start time.
The Plenary will begin promptly at 10 AM
Any Club member can attend the ZOOM meetings, so please forward the registration link to others in your Club. At our previous two Speaker Series we have had over 200 participants--a silver lining of having to do everything virtually!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the meeting. Please save your confirmation e-mail, as it contains your individual link to the ZOOM meeting, which you’ll need to connect on February 27th.
For more information on the Plenary, including the speakers' bios, please click on the link below.
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Ontario Pre-Budget Submission
On February 10th, CFUW Ontario Council submitted comments to the Ministry of Finance concerning the 2021 Budget focusing on the Caring Economy. As we were limited to 500 words, we only discussed the two current crises of child care and long-term care. Click the following link to view the OC pre-budget submission: February 2021 Pre-Budget Submission.
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Child Care & Long-Term Care
As a follow-up to the pre-budget submission, two template letters dealing with child care and long-term care have also been created, to assist OC clubs with their own advocacy letter-writing campaigns. As well, a list has been compiled of the MPPs from all parties who are involved in some capacity with the ministries that will be dealing with child care and long-term care both in the short-term and as Ontario begins its post-COVID economic recovery. You can view the letters and MPP list at the links below.
As well on January 22nd, OC President Sandy Thomson represented CFUW Ontario Council at the Ontario Health Coalition press conference regarding LTC. In accordance with our policy, Sandy issued this statement: “With decades of little oversight in our long term care facilities, we are now faced with a severe crisis, heightened by the pandemic. Further to A Better Place to Live, a Better Place to Work: Ontario’s Long-Term Care Staffing Plan, which is welcomed, we need current information on timelines regarding recruitment, training, staffing, and regulation requirements.” Read more ...
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February 5, 2021 Update from Courage for Freedom Project Maple Leaf
This is Project Maple Leaf, a movement to eradicate human trafficking and sexual exploitation of girls and boys, children.
Thanks to survivors, their lawyers, allies and all of you, after years of work, we have ensured a spotlight has finally been shone on Pornhub that is unavoidable. As a survivor of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse, I for one can say I will not rest until this company is held accountable socially and financially for the harm they have caused countless children, women, and men throughout the world.
Following the momentous development on February 1st, 2021, the Canadian House of Commons Ethics Committee launched their investigation into MindGeek, the parent company of Pornhub, for hosting videos of child sexual abuse, rape, sex-trafficking, and non-consensually distributed content. Today, MindGeek Executives will no longer be able to use false names in responses, ignore the public outcry for justice, or gaslight victim/survivors and their allies as the problems that they have intentionally caused for the sake of money. We are hopeful this is the start of holding all businesses operating on or from Canadian soil accountable at the highest level.. A day to mark in history ... the hearing scheduled TODAY, February 5 can be seen at https://parlvu.parl.gc.ca/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20210205/-1/34697
For those in the USA please call on Congress and Attorneys General to investigate Pornhub.
We look forward to continuing to #protectchildren and #endchildtrafficking together.
Each person, each community, organization and industry.
Kelly Tallon Franklin
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Climate Change Corner
We are in the midst of a cold weather spell in Ontario, but did you know that overall since 1973 ice cover on the Great Lakes and other northern hemisphere lakes is decreasing? Researchers have found a 22% decline in ice cover on the Great Lakes as compared to 50 years ago and attribute it to warming air and water temperatures due to climate change. Ice cover is important to the health and quantity of lake water, which many communities depend on for drinking water. Take a look at this animation of historical ice cover on the Great Lakes and learn more about lake ice trends from a recent CTV news article.
Thanks to Anne Carbert and Annemarie Reimer from CFUW Stratford.
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Note from Advocacy Chair Judy Gay
The Advocacy Advisory Coordinating Committee met in January to review OC’s advocacy activities during the fall. Some of the highlights included:
- Ontario Council sent a letter to the Minister of Health, Dr. M. Fullerton, on the establishment of the commission to study LTC. A report is expected in April.
- Ontario Council addressed a letter to the Minister of Government and Consumer Affairs, L. Thompson, regarding Payday Loans.
- Ontario Council addressed a submission to the Ontario Government calling for an Educational Task Force to study the impacts of CoVID on students.
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A letter was addressed to the Attorney General, D. Downey, on the reinvestment of 2.5 million dollars cash and proceeds from criminals to help fight Human Trafficking in communities across the province.
- Ontario Council is very fortunate to have expert policy advisors serve on the Advocacy Committee in the following portfolios: early learning and child care, environment, housing, and poverty. Our environment advisor researched the potential changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and a submission was made to the government. The standing committee on education studied the potential changes to the Child Care and Early years Act 2014 and also made a submission to the government.
You can view all the ongoing Advocacy activities on the OC website under Advocacy Take Action! At the February meeting we will set the advocacy agenda for the rest of the term as well as debate the pros and cons about re-active and pro-active advocacy and what best suits the purposes of Ontario Council. I would venture a guess that we need both.
Looking forward to International Women’s Day on Monday, March 8th: How does your Club celebrate this day? For example, I know of a Club that holds a breakfast meeting with a guest speaker with the proceeds going to support the local women's shelter. Even this year, breakfast meetings can go virtual as CFUW Etobicoke demonstrated with their 7th annual Stop the Violence Breakfast held on February 10th. Please let us know how your club will be marking this important day of the year.
Judy
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Calling all Clubs - International Women's Day March 8, 2021!
Ontario Council is interested in hearing of your club's events in recognizing International Women's Day March 8, 2021! We hope to spearhead a concerted publicity campaign on our social media outlets. We found great success with the "16 Days of Activism" and saw increased exposure in all of our social online connections. We hope to generate another uptick with our membership in circulating what clubs are planning in honoring women.
Let us make this a special year in honoring all women!
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Bylaws – Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewing your Bylaws: How Often?
It is considered best practice to review your bylaws regularly, each year or two. An ad-hoc committee of your Club executive group could be formed to review your bylaws for key elements, including:
a. Modernization
- represents what you do today; accommodates virtual meetings, electronic voting
- remove outdated or non-generic operational or procedural language or positions
b. Governance
- do you need to be more flexible with your executive positions, perhaps moving away from the traditional president, vice president to a shared governance? Or to allow for shared governance if needed, in any given year?
- do you need to confirm how quorum is determined for decision making at the executive level or the club level?
- have you included what decisions need to go to the membership? Decisions like club bylaw amendments and elections. And delegate instructions for CFUW or CFUW OC annual meetings (bylaw amendments, elections, resolutions, or other proposals) ?
Changing Bylaws: Revision or Amendment?
A. Bylaw Revision: What is a bylaw revision?
A bylaw revision is a replacement of your existing bylaws, meaning you will set aside the existing bylaws if the new revised bylaws are approved. If the revision is not approved by the membership, the existing bylaws will continue to be in force.
If you are not making major structural changes to your bylaws then a bylaws revision may not be necessary. You may want to keep your current bylaws structure and focus on specific bylaw amendments only.
If you decide to revise your bylaws, you will want to create a broad, representative bylaws revision committee populated with interested club executive and members. It is recommended to start this project as early as you can and work out a timeline leading up to the Club’s annual general meeting.
It is good practice to communicate with your membership often, sending updates about the progress of the project. Early on, you could ask the membership to submit their ideas about the changes they would like to see.
Remember that a bylaws revision is much like presenting brand new bylaws. Everything in the proposed bylaws revision is open to change by the membership so you will need to have a process for publishing the revision and inviting amendments.
Having an information session for the membership well before the annual general meeting to review the proposals, any amendments and answer questions, is strongly recommended. Your annual general meeting will be more efficient if the members understand the bylaws revision ahead of time.
The bylaw revision will require a two-thirds vote for approval, which should be counted. Members can take the vote by ballot or take an in person counted vote by a show of hands. The secretary records the number of votes in the minutes. If the revision is adopted, it immediately replaces the bylaws. If it is defeated, the current bylaws remain as they are.
B. Bylaw Amendment: How should amendments be handled?
Bylaw amendments can come about in a couple of ways: proposed by an ad hoc bylaws committee or proposed by the general membership. The process to handle any bylaw amendments will ideally include the following:
- A review to ensure that the proposed amendment is well formed, does not contradict other existing language in the bylaws and is not considered operational with too much procedural detail. (detail can quickly become outdated)
- A review and approval by the Club executive of any proposed amendments suggested by the ad hoc bylaws committee, before sending them to the membership.
- Communication of the proposed bylaw changes along with an explanation or rationale for the proposal.
- Membership is given time to review any proposed amendments and offer changes to the proposed amendments.
- Approval vote by two-thirds of the membership at an annual meeting.
- Record keeping of the approved amendments in the minutes of the annual meeting.
- Communication of the updated bylaws document to the membership.
Thanks to Lori Ker, Chair, OC Governance Committee, and Constitution & Bylaws Committee
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Applications for the 4th Annual Ontario Council Recognition Awards and the Carolyn Day Award for Environmental Action will be available soon on the OC website under Club Recognition Awards. Start thinking about what your Clubs have been doing and what you’re proud of. Deadline for applications will be April 15, 2021.
The Carolyn Day Award for Environmental Action
Carolyn Day, a Past-President of Ontario Council, 1998-2000, was the Ontario Council Environment Policy Advisor from 2000 until her death in 2018. During her time, she wrote more than 40 briefs and letters concerning water and the environment, attended many meetings on our behalf, and was even called upon by government on some occasions. This award is created in her honour.
Tell us about your work to support the environment - locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.
Awards will be presented at the Ontario Council AGM in May.
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CFUW St. Catharines has proposed a resolution to Ontario Council, concerning Human Trafficking Awareness, Prevention and Detection.
Please read it carefully and prepare amendments if you wish. Amendments must be received by the Resolutions Committee Chair on or before April 1st. Any amendments received will be sent to the proposer. CFUW St. Catharines will study the amendments and accept or reject them, and will return an acceptable amended resolution to the Resolutions Committee by April 15th. Ontario Council will then send out the amended proposed resolution to all clubs via e-mail. We will be voting on the resolution at the 2021 Ontario Council Annual General Meeting to be held online Saturday, May 15, 2021.
You will find:
Human Trafficking Awareness, Prevention and Detection,
proposed by the CFUW St. Catharines
Resolution Amendment Guidelines 2020-2021 (This includes important dates.)
Ontario Council Resolution Amendments/Acceptance/Rejection form for submitting amendments, etc.
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Can You Help?
Photos Needed!
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Please send posters and photos of your events to the Editor, so we can post them on our website and to our social media. A complete list of coming events can be found here.
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Women Helping Women
Our vision for Ontario Council can be summed up in the following key words:
Education. Action. Advocacy.
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CFUW Brantford
CFUW Brantford collected over $2000 to support Nova Vita, the local women's shelter, and their Hope for the Holidays Campaign! Well done!
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CFUW Burlington
The Uncrafty Crafters of CFUW Burlington selected the Purse Pouch Project to support Halton Women's Place as their October-November craft. They started with lots of material and cut, sewed, ironed and affixed snaps. They used a Snap machine to close the pouches, building their biceps in the process! The pouches were used to hold donated grocery gift cards, which were delivered to Halton Women's Place. Over 300 pouches were made and delivered! Burlington members donated over $3500 to the project and CFUW Oakville also joined in. Wonderful!
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An Article from CFUW Oakville
This past year, Matt Gallagher, a son of one of Windsor Regional Hospital's patients from the St Clair Sportsplex Field Hospital started filming a documentary through the iPads with not only his Dad but also with other families.
Below is a movie trailer for Dispatches From a Field Hospital. The 90-minute television premiere is March 16th at 9pm on TVO. Following the TV premiere, the documentary will be available online - streaming across Canada. If you copy and paste the link below into your browser, you can see a preview.
I think the documentary will be well worth watching on March 16.
Lise Moras
Thanks Lise for submitting!
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CFUW Aurora Newmarket March 8, 2021 @ 10AM
IWD Event - Choose to Include
Our guest speaker is Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux the first Indigenous Chair for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada for Lakehead University. She is a member and resident of the Chippewa of Georgina Island First Nation and has dedicated her life to building bridges of understanding between peoples. Contact CFUW.info@gmail.com to register for this virtual event. All Ontario club members are invited to attend. See more ...
UWC Toronto March 8, 2021 @ 4PM
IWD Event - Women on the Ballot Stories of our Trailblazers
Betsy McGregor is the author of Women on the Ballot: Pathways to Political Power and will speak about some of the trailblazing women in her book. Betsy’s talk promises to be a dynamic and inspiring address for International Women’s Day. To register go to info@uwctoronto.ca, and to find out more about her book visit https://womenontheballot.com. All are welcome. See more ...
CFUW Aurora Newmarket March 12, 2021 @ 7PM
LUNAFEST Virtual Film Festival
Seven films celebrate the achievements of forward thinking women:
- An international women’s Arctic ski tea
- A professional women’s softball player
- A mixed-media artist
- A 12-year-old separated from her mother at the US border
- A young neuroscientist and her colleagues
- A lifelong angler
- A 93-year-old visual storyteller and accomplished printmaker
CFUW Sudbury March 25, 2021 @ 7PM
25th Annual CELEBRATE WOMEN Event
CFUW Sudbury, in partnership with YWCA Sudbury and LEAF Sudbury, presents the 25th Annual Celebrate Women on March 25th at 7 p.m. This year’s author is the prize-winning Canadian novelist Mary Lawson. She will be talking about her new book A Town Called Solace which, like her previous books, is set in Northern Ontario. Tickets are only $10. To register, or to learn more, go to CFUW Sudbury Celebrate Women 2021. See more ...
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Ontario Council News is a newsletter for and about our Ontario Clubs.
- We receive news from so many of our clubs that we've decided to publish it on our website to limit the need for scrolling in the newsletter.
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Please note: Because Ontario Council includes close to 50 clubs, we are not able to publish club meetings, AGMs, scholarship winners and other charitable giving.
- To help you help us, click the link below for all the information you need about our publication schedule, submission deadlines, and preferred format.
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Hope to see you at the
February Speakers Series
February 27th, 2021
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