CAWI Governance

Steering Committee

CAWI is a unique collaboration of women from diverse communities, organizations, academics and municipal decision-makers in the City of Ottawa. Decisions are made through various participatory consensus-based processes including: a Steering Committee composed of women of diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds, Aboriginal and francophone representation, two academics, two city managers and staff.

View How We Make Decision (pdf - word)

Guiding Principles:

Deep Democracy

• Promotes self awareness
• Depends on all voices and views  being heard and valued
• Values working with diverse groups of people
• Builds a shared vision
• Facilitates building of community
• Brings our hearts and creativity into decision making and action
• Promotes transformation and change

Peer Mentoring

• We each have something to learn and to teach. Women work as co-chairs and committee members sharing our ideas and learning from each other. In this way, we support each other in taking action, in contributing and in our professional development.

CAWI’s steering committee consists of:

community members, who are representatives of diverse groups of women with specific skills and interests:

Allison Minga Mabi
Euphrasie Emedi
Janet McInnes
Maryam Sheidafar
Roberta Della-Pica

Rachida Youmouri

2 city managers:

Clara Freire, Client Service Strategies, Organizational Development & Performance
Lois Emburg, Diversity & Employment Equity, Human Resources

2 academics:

Caroline Andrew, Centre of Governance, University of Ottawa
Fran Klodawsky, Carleton University

Staff:

Suzanne Doerge, Director
Valerie Assoi, Community Engagement Coordinator

Finance and Fundraising Committee

Mandate:

The Fundraising & Finance Committee of the City for All Women’s Initiative (CAWI) will decide on all aspects of the financial and fundraising matters, subject to the Steering Committee’s final approval. This will be done in keeping with CAWI’s strategic directions, principles and philosophies, mission and mandate.

• Members to decide on financial matters and raised issues and to inform the Steering Committee;
• Co-chairs to make regular reports to the Steering Committee, and to report questions or concerns of the Steering Committee to the Finance and Fundraising  Committee;
• Members to determine fundraising needs and to research and identify possible funding sources;
• Members to form ad hoc committees, where necessary, to perform specific tasks/functions such as assisting with and preparing funding proposals.

Communications Committee

Mandate

The Communications Committee of the City for All Women Initiative will guide and make decisions on all aspects of communications with CAWI network and wider community, subject to final approval by Steering Committee. This will be done in keeping with CAWI’s strategic directions, principles and philosophies, mission and mandate.

Menbers will bring forward ideas, initiatives and plans in the areas of communications, public relations, event planning and membership to the Steering Committee for approval. These may be in response to needs which have been directed to the Communications Committee by staff, the Steering Committee or other CAWI committees. Initially, these could include:

• develop communication tools for purposes of information/public relations, such as a brochure, and dissemination strategies;
• analyze the website with a view to enhancement;
• develop means to promote the achievements of CAWI;
• make CAWI key documents, such as the Strategic Plan, more accessible; and
• develop recruitment, retention and recognition strategies for CAWI membership.

Once approved by the Steering Committee, ensure the implementation of initiatives and plans in the areas of communications, public relations, event planning and membership.

Ensure periodic evaluation of current practices in the areas of communication, event planning, public relations and membership.

Develop and update guidelines for communications.

Consider ways for making meetings accessible to francophones.

Personnel Committee:

Mandate:

The Personnel Committee of the City for All Women’s Initiative will make decisions on all aspects of the personnel policy subject to the Steering Committee’s final approval. This will be done in keeping with CAWI’s strategic directions, principles and philosophies, mission and mandate.

• Research, develop and recommend personnel policy and manual for use in CAWI/IVTF’s activities
• Oversee volunteer development;
• Develop a yearly work plan with timelines for new policies and in conjunction with staffing priorities.
• Review and revise adopted personnel policies regularly;
• Monitor the implementation of adopted personnel policies;
• Be a supportive and confidential forum within which personnel issues are addressed;
• Form ad hoc committees where necessary to perform specific tasks/functions such as hiring new staff;
• Co-Chairs to make regular reports to the Steering Committee

Women’s Action Committee

Mandate:

The Women’s Action Committee of the City for All Women Initiative will listen to women and be aware of what is happening in the City of Ottawa so as to identify women’s concerns to be addressed and ways for addressing them. This will be done in keeping with CAWI’s strategic directions, principles and philosophies, mission and mandate.

Functions and Responsibilities:

• Plan and facilitate Women Action Forums;
  • Extend invitation to women to participate in forums;
  • Create a welcoming and inclusive environment;
  • Identify guest speakers and presenters for Women action forum;
  • Participate in Women Action Forums on regular basis as a place for learning from the community;
• Listen to the concerns women are raising and develop an action plan to address the concerns;
• Keep informed about issues arising at City Hall that are of interest to women and their communities;
• Send communiqués to City council on behalf of the Women’s Action Forum.