What We Do

We are women in all our diversity opening doors and seeing to it they remain open, so that others can pass through. Women in the CAWI network are opening doors at City Hall, in our communities and in our lives.  Women hold the door open to help create an inclusive city and promote gender equality.

Build Capacity

CAWI provides training for women from diverse communities including Aboriginal women, women with disabilities, racialized women, women living on low-income, francophone and immigrant women. The 150 graduates of our 9-month Women’s Civic Participation Training have learned how city government works and how to bring their views forward. From 2010 - 2012, fifty-two women will participate in our new Community Engagement Facilitator Training to learn skills for engaging their communities through facilitation.

Since 2005, CAWI has worked with the City of Ottawa to develop tools and implement processes that enhance the capacity of city staff, management and City Councillors to consider equity and inclusion in their employment practices, policy development and delivery of programs and services. Currently, CAWI provides coaching to city staff and community agencies implementing the Equity and Inclusion Lens.

Take Action – Assume Leadership

CAWI supports women in putting their learning and ideas into action. Through monthly Women’s Action Forums at City Hall, multilingual brochures and plain language information on issues arising at City Hall, CAWI provides women with tools for making their views known to city decision makers and the media. The full-diversity of women are encouraged to assume leadership as facilitators, leaders in their communities, facilitators and participants in city consultations, and as members of City Advisory Committees.

Create new knowledge – Research

Working in partnership with the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, CAWI engages students, academics, organizations and women from the community in connecting our lived experience to academic research so as to better inform how we create a women-friendly city that respects diversity. This research informs our programs, publications and approach.

As part of an international movement of women and cities, we draw upon the learning and experience of women from around the globe.