New North SANC Services Inc

Published purpose

This 22-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, through systemic change. New North SANC Services Inc will achieve this by addressing the underrepresentation of Indigenous women and other marginalized voices in leadership roles and positions of authority and will create regional coalitions to mobilize greater political participation in northern municipal, regional, and provincial governments. The project will conduct governance workshops to grow awareness of unconscious biases that inform decision-making processes, form coalitions among Indigenous women groups and equity seeking organizations to build a network of peer support groups and sharing circles to identify the issues that are creating barriers to participation by Indigenous women in northern Saskatchewan communities. At the end of the project, the organization will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by advancing inclusive policies and practices, encouraging more equitable and effective sharing of resources, increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, supporting positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power, and addressing persistent harmful gender norms and attitudes to support women’s equality. The organization will engage with grass roots organizations, women’s coalition, indigenous women, local and regional government to develop equity-based toolkits for local and regional use. Success will be measured by the number of organizations and governments that adopt the practices put forth by the project and the increase of women in leadership positions and diversity of those seeking political office in the region over time.