National Day of Action 2012 Actions
View Journée nationale d'action - National Day of Action in a larger map
Remember Our Sisters Everywhere
Remember Our Sisters Everywhere is an on-line community committed to remembering women and girls who have been murdered, and to preventing violence against women and girls. We publicize many different feminist activities and in the case of February 14th, we will publicize the February 14th Women's Memorial Marches held across Canada. Contact Christine for more information.
British-Columbia
Hornby Denman Community Health Care Society, Hornby Denman Island (BC)
We are planning an evening to celebrate the talents of girls and young women who live on the two rural islands. The evening will include the presentation of a play written and performed by high school girls addressing issues important to them. The evening will also showcase art, music, and handmade items they have chosen to share such as clothing and crafts. The participants will be girls from elementary and high school schools plus young women who have expressed an interest in being involved. Contact Lanna for more information.
Project Respect Youth Team, Victoria (BC)
The Project Respect youth team is organizing a social action called Revolution Letters for the Girls Action Foundation National Day of Action. Revolution Letters is designed to engage the community in challenging consumerist/heteronormative/sexist/limited ideas of love that are mass marketed to us, especially on Valentine’s Day. Instead, we’re asking people to explore love as revolution, by writing/reading/talking/thinking about how we can use love to create communities free from gender-based violence. It’s love as social justice!
Revolution Letters involves three parts:
1) Community Letter Writing: Leading up to February 14 we will be asking people in our communities to write Revolution Letters exploring their own ideas of love as social justice. We’ll mobilize folks on Facebook and will set up public letter writing stations at locations in downtown Victoria during the first two weeks of February. We’re making some cool and creative letter templates to make this less daunting for people. We’ll collect all the letters to scan and post on our blog.
2) and 3) Distribution and Blogging: Once we have scanned all the letters, we’re going to make lots of copies. We hope to have 50+ original letters that will be copied. We’ll make at least 500 copies on colourful paper folded and sealed with a Project Respect sticker. Our mobilized team of letter carriers will hide the letters in random locations across Victoria throughout the week leading up to February 14. Each letter will have a link to the Revolution Letters blog site we’re creating so finders can look us up, map where they found their letter, and comment.
We will contact local media and ask them to write about Revolution Letters on February 14 to generate more awareness about the National Day of Action and about our project; to expand our reach and draw more people to the blog. We also want to get more people thinking about our collective responsibilities to challenge oppressive “norms” related to gender, sexuality, and love in order to end gender-based violence. We aren’t sure how likely media are to follow our project, but we have some contacts in some of the alternative local papers. Contact Elicia for more information.
Britannia Community Centre, Vancouver (BC)
Our group is planning an Empowerment Day for young women in our community. We will hold a day of mini workshops to generate discussion around dating violence/healthy relationships, recreation/wellness, assertiveness and confidence, and goal setting. Contact Antuaneth for more information.
Amplified Rights Movement, Vancouver (BC)
"Woman Warriors: Combating Violence Against Women" is a full-day event leading up to International Women's Day that aims to combat violence and exploitation against women. The event aims to inform the public about the anti-oppression work of four organizations and the ways in which they are directly involved in combating the economic and sexual violence faced by women in our community. Women organizers of EVE (Exploited Voices now Educating), REED (Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity), ALIVE (Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement) and the PWC (Philippines Women's Center-Vancouver) are each dedicated to ending the exploitation of women and fighting for the dignity and liberty of all women.
The event aims to inform through a lively panel discussion, dynamic performances by local womyn artists, poets and storytellers, as well as art displayed throughout the room concerning the topic of violence against women. The day will be an opportunity to gather as a community, learn about the issues women in our community face, and recognize our power as women warriors to live boldly. Refreshments will be provided. Donations will be accepted at the door. Contact Kim for more information.
Kloshe'nem, Vancouver (BC)
We created a "Wawa Chiy" blog to honour the thoughts and voices of Aboriginal girls and provide a sense that they have the right to express their feelings, thoughts and actions. During the month of January, we introduced the blog to the girls we work with and are in the process of responding to what they shared by conducting community consultations with Urban Native youth groups, elementary and secondary female students, Aboriginal community groups. We will then create a "next steps" strategy to work towards the goals and dreams envisioned by the girls. The blog is linked to our Facebook account.
We are working with RYSA (Richmond Youth Services Agency), volunteering with UNYA (Urban Native Youth Association) and hopefully KidSafe (as funding is acquired for a girls group that targets 9-14 year olds). We will also be spearheading two camps in 2012 for Aboriginal youth and girls. Contact Anastasia for more information.
Action Team, Vancouver (BC)
"A Celebration of pure love: A young mothers’ event” is a one-night event for young mothers in Vancouver to gather, celebrate, learn and be heard. It is the night where the courage to pursue motherhood is rewarded and celebrated. It is the time for young mothers to connect, share their own experiences, learn from the experiences of others and support one another. The event is also designed so that the community sees the needs of young mothers. Guest speakers, entertainers and good food will also be part of the evening. Contact Blessie for more information.
Philippine Women Centre, Vancouver (BC)
The Philippine Women Centre of B.C. is creating a Young Filipina Feminists Collective to build a social network of support for our younger members. Our debut event, Young Filipina Feminists: Storytelling as Empowerment hopes to cultivate more opportunities for leadership by providing more accessible and inclusive spaces for young women to share and amplify their histories and realities as first and second-generation women living in Canada. Contact Krystle for more information.
Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre, Vancouver (BC)
We are planning a Celebration of Young First Nation's Women Empowerment featuring three workshops: Inter-generational teachings of women's responsibilities; Healthy relationships - Steps of dating; and Hip Hop as a tool of empowerment. The group will harvest the teachings through Hip Hop or spoken word and display them at the end session. There will be four sessions in total with a feast at the end. Each group of five will be in a workshop for 35 minutes and then switch to the next workshop until they complete all three. There will also be a prize at the end: a wooden box with a medicine bundle inside. We will also give a $25.00 gift certificate as a door prize. Contact Rachel for more information.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cranbrook, Cranbrook (BC)
We are so excited to be hosting an intergenerational mentoring luncheon. This is a wonderful opportunity for younger and older women in our community to get together. The fragmentation of services and people in our community need to be bridged and this intergenerational coming together with facilitated networking, great speakers, and good food will be a wonderful chance to do that! Contact Dana for more information.
Yukon
Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre Girls Club, Whitehorse (YK)
As Yukon girls, we are facing the increasingly adverse realities of global climate change. We understand that climate change disproportionately affects women and girls. Our planned action on February 14th will be one of love. We will spread our message of love for our planet, our home, our families, our future, and ourselves by distributing fortune cookies with customized messages about climate change statistics. The messages will also include steps people can take locally and in their daily lives to protect our planet. This action will support local organizations already encouraging Yukoners to make healthy and environmentally friendly decisions. Contact Taryn for more information.
Les EssentiELLEs, Whitehorse (YK)
We will work with girls in the 10th and 12th grades at the local francophone school to create Valentine’s Day cards with information about healthy relationships (based on the guide to healthy relationships for Yukon youth). For example: “Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you know that you have the right to feel respected in a relationship?” etc. An English version of the activity is being developed by members of the Yukon RebElles. On February 14th, students will distribute the cards at their school and members of the Yukon RebElles will do the same on the streets of downtown Whitehorse. Contact Ketsia for more information.
Nunavut
Independent, Rankin Inlet (NU)
I am planning to start an Inuit cultural program for youth. I believe being an Inuk should be the norm. I want youth to be able to throat sing and drum dance not just for show or performance, but because it is part of who we are as Inuit. Contact Charmaine for more information.
Manitoba
Independent, Winnipeg (MN) Hollaback! Winnipeg
We are planning an afternoon for high school girls to explore feminism, and to build self-esteem, community and solidarity. Activities will include screening The Purity Myth, a film on the hypersexualization of girls, women and healthy sexuality; a street harassment workshop by Hollaback! Winnipeg; an opportunity for girls to share their voice with a spoken word piece, song or poem; a creative and subversive community action/art project; and eating lots of treats. Contact Jodie for more information.
Laurel Centre, Winnipeg (MN)
The Who’s got Your Back? group is planning an anti V Day event for participants of the group in order to encourage healthy celebration of self and discourage the "buy in" that Valentine's Day encourages. There will be a healthy relationships review to increase in critical thinking skills, introduction to mixed media messages damaging to girls at risk of being exploited. Contact Kim for more information.
Ontario
Windsor Women Working With Immigrant Women, Windsor (ON)
On February 14, young racialized women (and other girls) will celebrate themselves on "Love Yourself Day". As part of an evening celebration, racialized girls will take part in a professional photo shoot. Pictures from the evening will be displayed at Colouring Beauty, a special event planned for March 8th. These events are part of a series of activities taking place from January through March to critically discuss issues of body image, beauty and race. Contact Cassandra for more information.
IYW HORIZON - IMMIGRANT YOUNG WOMEN'S HORIZON, Ottawa (ON)
We will hold a skill building and mentorship workshop with girls. The workshop's goal is to help girls better integrate their communties and have an improve the quality of services offered to girls. We will also be officially launching the ITW Horizons' activities. Contact Julienne for more information.
The Orleans-Cumberland Resource Centre, Orleans (ON)
The Orleans-Cumberland Resource Centre will do a workshop to encourage a positive body image and promote self-esteem in girls between the ages of 9 to 12 who live in rural regions of Ottawa. The girls will participate in self-esteem building games and discussions about self esteem and media influences.
Planned Parenthood Ottawa – Insight Theatre, Ottawa (ON)
Insight Theatre, a Planned Parenthood Ottawa program, is a unique non-profit, public education theatre program created by, for and about youth. Every year, a group of students from schools all over the city face the challenge of creating, directing and acting in their own show about sexual and reproductive health, and presenting it to their peers. On the National Day of Action, Insight Theatre will present "flash mob" skits on sexual health in public settings in order to raise awareness, highlight, and provide information on sexual health issues of key concern in our community. Contact the Insight Theatre for more information.
Native Child Welfare - Minamodziwin (Girl's Program), Wiarton (ON)
We are inviting Elders and Women leaders in the community to join the girl’s group and share some of their stories, Ojibway legends, history about Cape Croker, how it has changed, and how they dealt with racism over the years. We would like to record the sessions (3-4) and have 2-3 elders present each night. A question and answer period will follow each presentation by an Elder. Contact Shannon for more information.
YWCA Cambridge, Cambridge (ON)
On February 26th, YWCA Cambridge will hold a Miss Representation Film Screening & Action at the Cambridge Centre for the Arts. The screening will be followed by a discussion on media and it's negative impact on girls and women as well as what we can do to support girls’ and young womens’ leadership. The audience will be made up of girls and young women ages 13 and up along with parents and community partners. Contact Kaitlyn for more information.
YWCA Toronto, Toronto (ON)
In order to address gender violence, the Girls' Council will prepare a flash mob presentation at Cedarbrae Mall's food court. The Council has identified sexual violence against girls and young women as a significant social issue. Contact Pauline for more information.
Women Stand Proud Aloud, Toronto (ON)
On February 18, 2012, I will be holding a brunch panel discussion called "Loving Yourself!" at a Toronto Community Housing building for single young mothers and their children. The building is located in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community. Contact Christine for more information.
MUJER, Toronto (ON)
I am planning to display a trivia game at George Brown College, St. James Campus, to identify different types of abuse in relationships. To play the game, participants will spin the wheel and land on a certain color. There will be a board with pictures of different types of abusive situations displayed in the background. The facilitator will pick up a card of the same color off the table and read the scenario attached to that color. The student will have to identify what type of abuse is taking place in the scenario. At the end of the game the participant will win a small prize or treat, and be provided with a pamphlet with information on abuse and resources to contact for help if needed. Contact Jennifer for more information.
Amplified Rights Movement, Toronto (ON)
We’re planning a Canadian Black HER-Story Month event to celebrate and educate the local Toronto community. With free African food, as well as spoken word, a dance showcase, film screening, guest speakers, and the trivia game ‘Are You Smarter than an African Girl?’, we expect to have a good time while still informing others. This event will also be a platform for those in the Congolese community to amplify the stories and facts about those affected by illegal Coltan, Gold, and Copper mining in The Democratic Republic of Congo, with special emphasis to how Canada plays a role in this issue. Contact Sydanie for more information.
Touching Lives Initiative, Toronto (ON)
The goal of this project is to engage with and help empower young African-Canadian women and girls to discuss self-esteem, violence against women, human/women rights issues, and some psycho-cultural leadership styles such as “knowing yourself”. Contact Edna for more information.
WORC IT, Toronto (ON)
The WORC IT group would like to continue the work of STEPPING UP that Girls Action started a few years ago. Our action "STEPPING UP" will target young racialized girls in the Toronto district schools to speak up on the gender-based violence occurring in many schools and classrooms throughout Toronto. We want to include girls in a day campaign to STEP UP against violence and come up with strategies to put stop it. Many young women are forced to prostitute themselves and give indecent sexual "favours", and are silenced to expose those who take advantage of them. The goal for this Day of Action is to provide the momentum for girls to start girls talking out loud! Contact Natasha for more information.
Educational Attainment West, Toronto (ON)
Educational Attainment West is organizing a policy boot camp for girls and young women in the Jane-Finch community. This one-day event will focus on building the capacity of girls/young women to participate in policy dialogue. Attendees will learn about policymaking, the importance of understanding policy and how it informs and shapes their lives. Facilitators will be invited to meaningfully engage girls and young women in policy discussions on education and other areas of importance to them such as gender-based violence. The policy bootcamp will allow them to learn how to take action for meaningful change in their community. Contact Adanna for more information.
Québec
Maison des jeunes de Sainte-Dorothée, Laval (QC)
“Women… in your hands lies the salvation of the world.” The Girl's club at the Maison des jeunes de Sainte-Dorothée offers a number of creative and artistic projects for girls ages 12 to 17. For National Day of Action, we will organize a workshop for girls to create placemats and write positive quotes and messages that reinforce women’s empowerment, develop critical thinking, and boost self-esteem. Throughout the week of February 14th, the placemats will be distributed to women at a participating neighbourhood café. The placemats will be made by girls, for girls, to promote respect for women. Contact Mélanie for more information.
Maison d'Haïti, Montréal (QC)
We are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day by putting together two activities. The first activity will bring together seniors, young women and girls to discuss how older generations experienced love relationships, and to give girls and young women advice on the art of entertaining guests: how to set a table, how to welcome guests (especially boyfriends), how to serve a meal, etc. The second activity will be to organize a pink and white themed evening for Valentine’s Day on either Monday, February 6th or Wednesday, February 8th, 2012, so that participants can put their elders’ advice into practice. The evening will consist of: a dinner with friends and boyfriends, cultural and other activities, a pink and white themed dance. Contact Monique for more information.
Spark Media, Montréal (QC)
As part of the process of creating TAPAGE magazine, girls will create a photo essay about their lives and their communities that will be published in the magazine and shown at an exhibition at the ARTOTHÈQUE in Montréal. Contact Genviève for more information.
Girl's Club, Montréal (QC)
Following a series of four workshops on responsible consumption and ethical fashion, our action will be to collectively send out personalized postcards to raise awareness on these issues. The image used for the postcards will be created by girls aged 10 to 12 who are part of Girls Action's Girl's Club program. The messages contained in the postcards will be written by the girls and will address an individual or organization of their choice. The goal of this action is to raise the public’s awareness on the issue of responsible consumption. Contact Simone for more information.
Centre d'aide aux familles latino-américaines (CAFLA), Montréal (QC)
We will be holding a photo shoot with girls of different origins. We will then use the photos to create a mural. This activity is entitled “Moi, je m’aime!” (I like myself!). Contact Laureen for more information.
CASEC, Montréal (QC)
This year we will be dedicating a full week to raising awareness among young women about sexual exploitation and marginalization. We will be distributing pamphlets on these issues at Saint-Michel and Sauvé metro stations as well as in buses and at neighbourhood schools. We’ll round up the week with two conferences in Saint-Michel high schools; one on sexual exploitation and the other on marginalization. We also hope to give participants access to an information booth on the various community and government services available to them, to make it easier for young women to know where to turn when in need. The conferences will be organized by several different women working in related fields and specializing in these issues. Contact Marie Eunite for more information
Women in Cities International, Montréal (QC)
For its February 14th Day of Action in Montréal, Women in Cities International is organizing a Women’s Safety Audit. Based on the security concerns of students from FACE school, a group of girls will choose a neighbourhood to conduct the audit. This activity will be preceded by a workshop/discussion organized in partnership with Action des femmes handicapées Montréal (AFHM) and The Benedict Labre House day center for the homeless.
Participants will first meet at AFHM’s premises, where homeless and staff from The Benedict Labre House will serve soup and answer questions from AFHM and FACE participants. The goal of this activity will be to deconstruct stereotypes and create a common ground of shared experiences between homeless women, disabled women, young women and girls on issues of safety and inclusion in Montréal.
Participants will then undertake a Women’s Safety Audit of a section of Sainte-Catherine Street, using a checklist to identify urban elements that affect their feelings of security and inclusion positively or negatively. After the evaluation, the girls will study their findings in order to formulate recommendations to authorities in order to make Montreal a more inclusive and secure city for women. Contact Emmanuelle for more information.
RebELLEs, Montréal, QC
We're planning a fun anti-heteronormative sexual education teach-in on consent and safe-sex for youg couples and singles on the weekend before Valentine's Day. On location: Sharing of cupcakes decorated with genital-inspired frosting, distribution of safe-sex kits (condoms, consent forms, etc.), origami flowers with maxims and proverbs about love and healthy relationships on them. There will also be a booth where youth workers will be available to answer any questions, hear comments and anxieties from passer-bys. They will also be presenting short informational skits. The action will be in the afternoon at Métro Mont-Royal on Duluth between St-Denis and St-Laurent. Contact Marie-Élaine for more information.
South Asian Women's Community Centre, Montréal (QC)
The South Asian Women’s Community Centre’s youth program, South Asian Youth (SAY) will hold a series of intergenerational mentorship and story sharing workshops called “Loving our Future”. The goal of the workshops is to encourage young South Asian women to explore diverse career paths and life choices. The invited mentors will provide personal examples of how young women can gain confidence in their own decision-making process despite potentially living with perceived limitations, economic stressors and socio-cultural expectations. We will host a total of three workshops on February 18 and 19th, 2012, each consisting of a presentation, discussion, and an art-envisioning activity that would culminate into a community art project (a collage of all artworks made in the workshops). While each presenter will speak on their unique field of interest or specific career path, they are all pursuing atypical careers (according to the options presented to many South Asian young women). Each speaker will highlight the process they underwent to achieve their goal(s) (personal story, obstacle, education, how to pursue the path, criteria, types of experience, salary considerations, day in the life of...). The discussion period will be a facilitated exchange between the presenter and the participants, during which the participants can ask more in-depth questions and share some of their thoughts with the group. The art-envisioning activity will be collage-based using a variety of art media. It will serve as a visual representation of our collective aspirations and will provide a collective gesture of our growing potential. Contact Alidina or Keren for more information.
Girls Action Foundation, Montréal (QC)
The members of Girls Club and Art Attack at Beurling academy, all young women under the age of 25, are going to speak out to their peers and community about issues that are important to them through the creation of two zines, one for each program.
Each zine will focus issues that are important and real to them, such as healthy relationships, bullying and violence. Group members will use drawings, photographs and writing to shout out loud and proud, and let everyone know why these issues are so important to young women in our communities! Contact Jodi for more information.
Rock Camp for Girls Montreal, Montréal (QC)
Rock Camp for Girls will hold a DVD and CD launch and intergenerational party! In honour of all the amazing hard work and talents of the campers and volunteers of Rock Camp, we are organizing an intergenerational community day to screen our new DVD, play our new CD, connect with peers and mentors from Camp, talk about experiences and future plans, and make new connections.
The day will start with the long anticipated screening of the 2011 camp session video, followed by a Q&A from community members to learn about the campers' and volunteers' experiences. The day will end with a party! This celebratory event will showcase the girls' new skills and hard work during camp, while also providing important opportunities for campers to deepen connections with each other and with mentor volunteers. Rock Camp wants to create an energizing and supportive space for girls between camp sessions. Contact Carina for more information.
CKUT 90.3 FM, Montréal (QC)
This year the Blue Print project aims to cover the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women. CKUT 90.3 has the equipment necessary to hold a live radio broadcast or to record audio at community events. In order to further promote the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women, the Blue Print Project will either coordinate a remote radio broadcast at Cabot Square on Valentine’s Day and/or conduct interviews throughout the event and the march. Contact Portia for more information.
New-Brunswick
Independent, Moncton (NB)
We will hold a one-night event on the theme “A Global Day of Love”. As an alternative to the traditional Valentines Day date, we are hosting a three-part event in our university community to deconstruct the usual heterosexual couple emphasis of Valentines Day. Taking place on February 14th at our University Student Centre, the event will consist of an “Alternative-Speed-Friendship” activity, a “Paint The Walls with Love” activity, and a celebratory Purple-Rev Dance. Our hope is to also have booths set up on the premises with information on various topics such as healthy relationships, sexual health, positive communication, and so on. Our intention is to not only provide a fun evening of events that people can attend regardless of relationship status, but also to provide an informative and empowering evening while giving attendees a chance to honour and celebrate all relationships and all forms of love. Contact Robyn for more information.
Nova-Scotia
Lea's Place, Sheet Harbour (NS)
We are organizing two different initiatives with two different groups of young girls. The junior and senior high school girls will come together to raise awareness and provide insight on the issue of "sexual consent". They will use educational materials such as postcards, bookmarks and stickers and will create a display to be used by the girls in the community. The girls in grades 4-6 (our current Girlz Talk Group) will hold a foodbank drive to raise awareness about food security. They are asking students in elementary schools to bring a non- perishable food item to class on Valentine's Day instead of giving their teacher a valentine card. The girls will decorate and distribute the drop-off boxes for each of the nine participating classes. Contact Myrete for more information.
Prince Edward Island
Women's Network PEI, Charlottetown (PEI)
Women's Network PEI will be hosting a Girls Unlimited conference in early February. The purpose of the one day conference is to increase girls’ capacity to think critically about the message they receive concering girls and women. We will do an interactive media literacy presentation, ad-busting, zine-making and a variety of other esteem and confidence building activities. The activities are designed to address the "whole girl" (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual). A Mi'Kmiq elder and youth will provide a portion of the programming. Contact Michelle for more information.
