WHAT WE DO
We are committed to gender equality and to the creation of an inclusive city for all women. We pursue this in 3 ways:
1) Increase capacity of women from diverse communities to have a voice in city decision making:
Evaluation of Civic Participation Training
In 2004, 2006 and 2007, CAWI provided Civic Participation Training for women of diverse communities and organizations across the city. View our Training Program, 2007) and Civic Participation Kit. Women join Action Teams where we work together to bring their concerns to the attention of city decision makers.
Civic Participation Training Program, September 2008 – Spring 2009, aims to strengthen the capacity of women from specific neighbourhoods to bring their concerns and those of their community to the attention of city decision makers. It is co-sponsored with the Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres. Participating centres include: Huntclub - Riverside Community Resource Centre, Lowertown Community Resource Centre, Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, Somerset West Community Health Centre, Vanier Community Resource Centre.
2) Systematically integrate inclusive decision making into city policies, programs and practices:
- Gender Equality Lens, developed for and piloted in the Community and Protective Services Department of the City of Ottawa. (You may print this guide to assist you in using a Gender Equality Lens. However, prior to using any part of this guide in another publication, contact us for permission)
- Multi focal lens development
3) Conducting research to inform city policies, practices and programs on;
- women’s experience in Ottawa
The focus of our work has grown out of the findings from a research project on women’s access to municipal services and a survey on women’s access to decision making. - best practices in Gender Equality
We identified tools and research across Canada and internationally to inform the development of the Gender Equality Guide.
We also asked city staff and community for examples of City of Ottawa practices that have effectively considered differences and inequalities between women and men; and differences among women. Click here to learn about some of them. - migration patterns within Ottawa
CAWI, in collaboration with the Centre on Governance (University of Ottawa), is undertaking a study to understand the mobility patterns of Aboriginal and foreign born women and men in order to examine the role played by public services, public policies, and community-based services and groups in the mobility processes.
