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Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
Mother's Day is just around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by spending some quality time with the most important woman in your life? Yorkgate Mall has just the event for you!
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Image credit: FreePik
Mother's Day is celebrated this year on Sunday May 14, 2023
This year, Mother's Day falls on Sunday, May 14th, 2023, and it's the perfect opportunity to appreciate and honor the hard work and dedication of mothers everywhere.
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End Violence Against Women
Photo credit: www.workingwomencc.org
International Women’s Day is observed on March 8th by governments, international organizations, and individuals to uphold women's achievements, recognize challenges, and focus greater attention on women's rights. It is important to recognize challenges such as violence against women. Working to understand the fight against violence against women empowers women and their children while educating society about daily injustices. Observing this day can raise awareness by giving back to their local community's women's centres, donating, and becoming more cognisant of the lived experiences that women face.
The United Nations states that violence against women has risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing humanitarian crises in our world. Their UN Women further indicates that 2 in 3 women reported that they or a woman they knew experienced violence. Only 1 in 10 women would seek help from the local authorities. These statistics illustrate how bringing awareness to gender-based violence is becoming even more crucial. It is necessary to evaluate the root causes and transform these social norms to empower women and girls. In Toronto and the Downsview Community, many survivors-centred services and women's centres support women facing violence.
The Working Women Community Centre at Jane & Finch is a women-focused settlement agency that has supported and empowered immigrant women and their families for over four decades. Providing programs and services that focus on economic development, settlement counselling, and educational support changes the lives of thousands of immigrant women. The endless opportunities and pathways at the Working Women Community Centre allow women to realize their potential and become better informed within society. Like this centre, the Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women also expands this reach by helping vulnerable women struggling with COVID-19, financial issues, and no employment. Their foundation aims at helping the most marginalized women by providing legal support. This unique approach allows for collaboration with lawyers where women facing violence can seek legal support at Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women.
The centres not only represent ways to empower women but also offer educational methods to raise awareness of gender-based violence and ways to prevent it. The fight against gender-based violence, specifically against women, must be highlighted daily. Empowering women in the community need to be strengthened as we are the future of our communities and must uphold this promise.
A troupe of Kathakas rehearse their choreography and figure out placement nestled among the trees, in the heart of the Black Creek.
When Ayesha Khan visited a Lost Rivers walk along the Mimico Creek watershed in Etobicoke, she immediately thought of her home in the Black Creek.
"This is such a lovely concept; the hidden stories of bodies of water." she mused. "I just thought; why can't we do this in Jane and Finch?"
She pitched her idea to Brian McLean of Lost Rivers TO and together, they began forming the Black Creek Walks, Talks and Dances project; a set of educational teachings and art walks along the Black Creek in Downsview.
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Elsa loves exploring the local art scene and shops in the city but grew frustrated when art featuring Toronto neighbourhoods always excluded Downsview. In response, she created her own graphic print of Downsview.
Elsa loves exploring the local art scene and shops in the city but grew frustrated when art featuring Toronto neighbourhoods always excluded Downsview. In response, she created her own graphic print of Downsview.
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Author, Speaker, Paralegal Sandra Anin. Photo credit: Envoyphotography
From November 25th to December 10th every year, Canadians recognize 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. The first day, November 25th is International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. According to the United Nations (UN), 1 in 3 women will experience physical or sexual violence in their life (usually by their partner), 52% of women in marriages make their own decisions about sexual activities, and 71% of all human trafficking victims are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 are sexually exploited.
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Small oil or ghee lamps such as this are used in Diwali festivities. Photo credit: Wilson Mathew
Diwali is more than fireworks, laughter, and joy. It is known as the festival of lights, and it translates to “row of lights” The lighting of candles is meant to keep evil spirits from entering the home and celebrate hope in the community.
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Women’s March for equality in public spaces. Photo credit: Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona
With the celebration of Women’s History Month happening in October, many great pioneers to remember have paved the way for us all. Women’s History Month is a time to reflect on women’s outstanding contributions to Canadian society.
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One of the children that received gifts from the Children’s Holiday Get Together. Photo credit: Jeswin Joseph
During a crisis, there are people who are indispensable and always seem to be there to help, Esther Carenza is one of them. Recently a woman was seriously hit by a car close to York University. Esther Carenza came on the scene and did whatever she could to assist the distraught and badly injured woman until secured by paramedics.
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CIBC Run for the Cure. Photo credit: Canadian Cancer Society
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and many women in Canada joined the annual nationwide breast cancer run, Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run. This year, the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run raised over $9 million for Canadians that have been impacted by breast cancer. The Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) was founded in 1938, and has helped more than 55 million people since 2017.
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