Who We Are

We are women from diverse communities, community organizations, and academics working with city decision makers and community leaders.

We join with women around the world in recognizing that cities are becoming increasingly important as places where people live and where decisions about our everyday lives are being made. We believe that cities can become a better place to live when the ideas and concerns of women from all backgrounds are taken into account.

Those of us who are Aboriginal, recent immigrants, francophones, racialized, living on low-income or with disabilities face specific challenges in sharing our insights with municipal decision makers. We support each other to change this.

CAWI Mission

CAWI (City for All Women Initiative) is a unique collaborative of women from diverse communities, organizations, and academia working with municipal decision makers to create a more inclusive city and promote gender equality.

Our Vision of Ottawa

We envision an Ottawa in which:

• Women’s knowledge, work, time, rights, and leadership are fully recognized and valued.

Our diverse experiences, cultures and perspectives are honoured and viewed as an asset in building an inclusive and caring community.

• Women and men of all races, cultures, languages, ages, abilities, sexual orientations and identities have equitable access to resources and decision making.

Strategic Directions

To achieve this we will:

• Create opportunities that build upon the capacities of the full diversity of women to influence city decision making.
• Continue to grow into a strong, mutually accountable city-community partnership committed to an inclusive city.
• Be an inclusive model of collaboration between women and their communities, community organizations, academics, and the City of Ottawa.