Women's Hostels Inc.

Published purpose

This 27-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19 through systemic change. Women’s Hostels Inc. (Nellie’s) will achieve this by 1) creating an advisory committee, 2) holding a series of civic engagement training workshops for equity seeking women, and 3) creating a network of women, supported by a group of mentors, to lead neighbourhood-based working groups in the Greater Toronto Area. At the end of the project, the organization will have established a network of diverse women leaders from four high-needs neighbourhoods in the Greater Toronto Area. This network will increase women’s representation at decision making tables and accelerate systemic change by bringing community concerns to the attention of city decision makers. The project will bring together an Advisory Committee, with members from the Violence Against Women Network (VAWN), local Community Health Centers and the City of Toronto. The project will build on the success of Ottawa’s City for All Women’s Initiative (CAWI) community advocacy model, with CAWI providing support and guidance throughout the life of the project. The effectiveness of this advocacy for systemic change project will be carefully documented through ongoing evaluation.