CAWI-IVTF

Our Neighbourhoods, Our Say: Planning Basics for a Caring City
2025-12-05 09:30 - 16:30 (America/Toronto) | Rideau Community Hub, 815 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 3A7, Canada
Join CAWI and Peoples Official Plan (POP) for Our Neighbourhoods, Our Say: Planning Basics for a Caring City, a one-day, hands-on workshop for community members who want to understand how planning and zoning decisions affect their neighbourhoods and daily lives.
In this training, you will:

Learn what planning and zoning are, and why they matter
Explore how city design can make life easier or harder, depending on where you live and your needs
Understand the history of planning, including how zoning has been used to exclude communities and reinforce inequalities
Look at city planning through a feminist lens, addressing historical power imbalances and prioritizing the needs and experiences that have often been marginalized
Discover tools you can use to influence city decisions and take action at City Hall
Learn about planning with care at the center

This training is open to everyone!
Save your spot here!
Friendly note: This training will be offered in English only. We hope to see you there!

Making Voices Count Civic Engagement Table (MVC)
2025-11-25 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-10-28 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-09-23 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-08-26 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-07-22 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-06-24 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-05-27 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-04-22 13:30 - 15:00 and 7 more dates | Zoom
Every last Tuesday each month, from 1:30PM to 3PM, on zoom
Group open to all genders, to discuss policy change in the city
To join, send an email to kassidy@cawi-ivtf.org

You’re invited to our Story of Origin opening reception!
2025-10-29 08:00 - 17:00 | City Archives, 100 Tallwood Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
For over twenty years, the City for All Women Initiative has been working for collective advocacy and a more caring and equitable Ottawa.
Join us for our Vernissage to celebrate Our Origin Story an evening of celebration, art and shared stories from those who made it all possible.
We will celebrate our shared journey, our community, and the meaningful work we’ve accomplished together. We will be offering light refreshments for you to enjoy.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Participatory Gendered Budgeting Workshop
2025-10-08 08:00 - 17:00 | To be announced
Since 2008, the City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) has worked with residents to understand and influence the city budget through community workshops, training, and advocacy. Our annual Participatory Gendered Budgeting workshop continues this important work.
This workshop is a space where community members can learn how the city budget works and how we can have a say in where public money goes. Participatory budgeting is about people coming together to make decisions, share ideas, and push for equitable use of public funds.
This year, we will be guided by the Care Lens – a way of thinking about budgets that centers care for people, communities, and the planet. We will also draw on all the learning we’ve done together over the years using CAWI’s Equity and Inclusion Lens, which helps us ask: Who benefits? Who is left out? How can decisions be more fair and inclusive?
When shaped by care, equity, and inclusion, participatory budgeting:
Shifts power to people who are often excluded from decision-making;

Builds stronger connections between residents, local government, and community groups;
Creates new opportunities for civic participation beyond voting;
Supports the growth of new community leaders;
Leads to fairer, more inclusive, and more effective spending.

This year’s workshop will give Ottawa residents practical tools for reading the city budget, spotting gaps and inequities, and speaking up for what our communities need most. Together, we will focus on how budgets can better serve women, gender-diverse people, Black, Indigenous, racialized, low-income, newcomer, and disabled communities.
?Whether this is your first time learning about city budgets or you are already active in community work, you are welcome to join us. This is a space for shared learning, skill-building, and collective action.
Friday, October 24, 2025 | ? 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (IN-PERSON)
Rideau Hub (815 St. Laurent Blvd., CAWI Office – Room 215)
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | ? 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm (ONLINE)
Register here

Join us for CAWI’s Action Forum: Cities as Places & Spaces of Care
2025-10-01 08:00 - 17:00
Good news! It’s time for CAWI’s Action Forum, and you’re invited.
This year, we are coming together for Cities as Places and Spaces of Care, an evening of reflection, creativity, and dialogue. Together, we will explore how to reimagine Ottawa as a city that embodies care and places the daily needs and rhythms of residents at the heart of planning and policy.
Here is what you can look forward to:

Creative exploration and storytelling
Co-designing through countermapping
Learning how to bring the Caring Cities movement to Ottawa
Turning ideas into action

Come enjoy delicious food and time in community from 4:30 to 5:30, then dive into the heart of the Forum together.
Date: October 23
Time: 4:30 – 8:00 PM
Location: Rideau Hub | 815 St. Laurent Boulevard

RSVP here!

Tis the season, it’s Summer Bash time!
2025-07-31 15:00 - 19:00 | Vincent Massey Park, Picnic Area S2, Heron Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V 2E4, Ottawa, Canada
Our annual Summer Bash at Vincent Massey Park is coming up soon! Come spend a joyful afternoon in community, filled with food, fun, and plenty of care. Let’s celebrate the warmth and connection we all cherish.
Location: Vincent Massey Park (Area S2), Heron Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V 2E4
Date: Thursday, July 31
Time: 3 pm to 7 pm
Bring your family and friends, and let’s create wonderful summer memories together. We look forward to seeing you there!
Register here!
Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for volunteers to support CAWI with setting up, running activities, and cleaning up after the Summer Bash. If you would be interested in volunteering your time with us, make sure to sign up today!
Sign up to volunteer here!

May Day March
2025-05-01 17:00 - 20:00 | Confederation Park
Content

We Are Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary!
2024-11-15 17:00 - 20:00 | Jean Pigott Place, City Hall, 110 Laurier Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Join us for an unforgettable evening honouring CAWI’s 20-year journey and impact through the theme of Past, Present, and Future. Enjoy a self-paced art gallery, a delightful dinner, the presentation of CAWI’s 20th Anniversary Video, music, and a thought-provoking panel discussion on CAWI’s future. Let’s come together to reflect, celebrate, and commemorate two decades of progress and leadership in our community!
Event Details:
Date: November 15th, 2024
Time: 5 pm – 8 pm
Location: Jean Pigott Place, City Hall
Don´t miss out on this amazing event!
Free Admission. Please RSVP here to help us plan.

Maamawe - Women reducing poverty together
2024-09-18 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-08-21 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-17 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-19 13:30 - 15:00 | Zoom
The Maamawe table brings together women and women from community organizations to set the direction for collective advocacy to break systemic barriers for women’s economic security.
Women only group.
To join, send an email to catalina@cawi-ivtf.org

Making Voices Count Civic Engagement Table (MVC)
2024-08-27 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-07-23 13:30 - 15:00, 2024-06-25 13:30 - 15:00 | Zoom
Every last Tuesday each month, from 1:30PM to 3PM, on zoom
Group open to all genders, to discuss policy change in the city
To join, send an email to lais@cawi-ivtf.org

Annual General Meeting CAWI
2024-06-27 17:30 - 20:00 | Rideau Community Hub, 815 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, Ontario, K1K 3A7, Canada
Join us for our 6th AGM as we celebrate our latest year! We are happy to introduce the candidates for our 2024 Board of Directors, put forward by the Board Nomination Circle.
Nominees Standing for election

Bonnie Schroder
Hodan Egale
Maria Paula

Members standing for re-election

Darlene Kaboni
Nayeli Sosa

View the candidates’ bios.
Register
