At the Women's Centre, 52% of the women in our community are experiencing poverty. This constant struggle to find food and shelter, to pay bills, and ultimately to maintain dignity affects women and their families at all times of the year. 

But the holiday season can be a particularly difficult time for women in our community. Surrounded by excitement and tremendous pressure to consume, many have told us they feel incredibly excluded. New on the  Blog, our Basic Needs Coordinator Carole reflects on why the holidays can be a difficult time, and shares a few ways we can work to make the holidays brighter for women in our community. Read Carole's Blog here.

Earlier this month, the Women's Centre and our community partners called upon the Government of Alberta to address low social assistance levels in our province. On November 8, Minister of Social Services Irfan Sabir announced long sought-after changes to income support programs, including an indexing of AISH and Income Support, as well as small raises to core benefit rates. 

To learn more about what took place, check out our original call to action here, read the Government of Alberta's press release here, and see media coverage featuring the Women's Centre here. Thank you to our community partners and community members for working for this change, which brings Alberta one step closer to being a province where all residents are able to meet their basic needs.