- Workshop Series (June 2006) and production of short documentary film Making HerStory (June 2008)
- AWARE involvement and volunteer recruitment at the Annual Oxfam Gender Equality Symposium for Youth (August 2007)
- AWARE volunteer recruitment fair at Canadian Red Cross Global Issues Symposium for Youth (November 2007)
- Creating Gender Justice: Empowerment through the Arts 2-day Conference (August 2008)
Creating Gender Justice: Empowerment Through the Arts
On August 16th and 17th 2008, around 40 fantastic young women age 14 to 20 from all across the British Columbia Lower Mainland region converged at UBC campus for the first annual arts-based leadership conference that was hosted jointly by AWARE and the GO GIRLS.
Throughout the two jam-packed days, the young women who attended the program got to participate in highly interactive and engaging workshops covering a wide range of topics including: body image and self-esteem, ending violence against women, feminism, media literacy and analysis, environmental justice, anti-oppression and leadership.
The event overall was a tremendous success and all the young women who attended left the conference with new skills, new friends and most importantly, the inspiration to become strong leaders within their own communities.
Here are some examples of what the young women participants had to say about their experiences at the conference:
“I leaned how to recognize norms, circles and exclusions”
“I felt listened to and cared about”
“I felt empowered and supported”
“I learned from the elder about the 4 parts of being complete – that I don’t have to look towards men or jobs for fulfillment. I learned about the physical, spiritual and emotional parts of myself”
“Seeing from various perspectives and learning what others think helped me reflect on my previous views”
“I leaned that women can make a difference when they try”
“I leaned how to be more open to others”
“I felt comfortable and good knowing how many girls actually care about empowerment for young girls and letting their opinions be known”
“There are so many wonderful young women activists, I am relieved and inspired”
“I learned about belonging, the power of a group and that this is a group of very powerful girls”
At the conference, the particiapants also had the opportunity to develop their very own definitions of feminism as a group. Here is a collective definition that one group of girls came up with:
FEMINISM is standing up for what you believe in. It is being true to yourself. It is freedom to be you! It is being proud of who you are, it is being STRONG. It means spreading equality for yourself and women everywhere.