Somewhere over the years in the midst of the horses and country music, an increase in alcohol consumption and blatant sexism became prominent components of our annual celebration of western culture, the Calgary Stampede. This year was certainly no exception. A witness of one woman and two men having sex in a public space video-recorded [...]

As Calgary’s largest and longest serving women’s organization, we are focused each day on our vision of “women thriving in a safe and equitable community.” Through our front line work providing emergency shelter, housing, counseling and education as well as our advocacy efforts, we are committed to ending poverty in our community. And, as a [...]

For over a century, the central goals of Canada’s Aboriginal policy were to eliminate Aboriginal governments; ignore Aboriginal rights; terminate the Treaties; and, through a process of assimilation, cause Aboriginal peoples to cease to exist as distinct legal, social, cultural, religious, and racial entities in Canada. On Tuesday, June 2nd, the long awaited report by [...]

On May 7, Ayesha Hasaan joined us along with 50 other participants for our YWCA Keep A Roof Over Their Heads® fundraising event, where participants spend one night on a cot in our Winter Emergency Response program shelter to experience homelessness. Ayesha used the experience as a Toastmasters speech topic and has graciously let us [...]

You cannot be what you cannot see. So goes the motto for the 2011 documentary Miss Representation. Through a critical analysis of media portrayals, the film highlights the criticality of role models in encouraging young women to positions of influence. In this regard, yesterday’s swearing in of Premier Rachel Notley and 11 new cabinet members [...]

Mothers’ Day has a lot of meaning here at the YW. It’s bittersweet. It’s a time when our little Pandas, Bunnies, Koalas and Chipmunks are busy creating artwork and crafts that will be treasured. It’s a time when the women working closely with our job counsellors are polishing up their resumes and bravely knocking on [...]

Over the past several weeks, provincial candidates have been sharing their thoughts and opinions on the future of Alberta as they campaign for the votes we will cast on Tuesday, May 5. As this article: Missing woman’s bleak fate should haunt us all, from the Edmonton Journal yesterday notes, there has been very little mentioned [...]

Remember when Barbie told girls math was hard? In October 1992, the Teen Talk Barbie uttered the phrase “math class is tough”, a statement that awarded Mattel Inc. a great deal of criticism from American women’s groups. (NY Times, 1992) Last night, Jim Prentice uttered a similar phrase during the live, televised provincial party leader’s [...]

A great playoff start by our Calgary Flames is worth getting excited about but, this week, I’m also cheering the plucky upstarts behind an emerging campaign  for a Safe Red Mile. In response to reports of women being harassed and verbally assaulted in bars and on 17th Avenue following these early games, groups of young [...]

National Volunteer Week, Canada’s largest celebration of volunteerism and civic participation, is April 12 through 18th. Albertans have a rich history of volunteering and community involvement, and have been celebrating National Volunteer Week for more than 20 years. Tip of the hat, Alberta! As the Community Engagement Coordinator at the YWCA of Calgary, I have [...]