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November 14th, 2025 |
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In this Edition:
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Please note that Camila Taipe will be out of office Monday, November 17th to Tuesday, December 2nd, returning to the office Wednesday, December 3rd. |
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A Tribute to Ruth Mellor |
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Ruth Mellor, longtime member and Past President of CFUW Kelowna, passed away November 1st, 2025. CFUW Kelowna published a deeply touching tribute to Ruth, excerpted below:
"Ruth was our Club’s past president, a friend, a mentor, a community leader and so much more. Ruth was a force to be reckoned with. Besides her involvement with CFUW, Ruth was a founding member of Kelowna and District Pro-Choice Society, Central Okanagan Community Gardens, and the Kelowna Film Society. For most of these groups she was the first chair, and remained involved until later this year."
We encourage all CFUW members to read the full tribute HERE
In keeping with her wishes we would ask that in lieu of flowers any gifts or donations in Ruth’s name be made to the Central Okanagan Community Gardens: |
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In the lead up to the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, we have added a folder to the CFUW Members Drive.
The folder includes template letters, social media campaign posts and accompanying captions, social media story posts, posters, and the information packages in both English and French.
Access the 16 Days of Activism Information Package HERE (version française) |
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Is your Club hosting an event for 16 Days? We'd love to highlight these activities on social media and in future CFUW National Club Action newsletters. Send information and any pictures from you event to Camila Taipe at advocacy@cfuw-fcfdu.ca |
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Register HERE |
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Would you like to come to New York with other CFUW members who will be part of CFUW’s 20-member delegation attending in-person at the 70th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70)?
Please read the information sheet for more details. The application form must be submitted online to CFUW by Nov. 22, 2025.
You may access the application form HERE |
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Virtual Congress of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) |
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The 40th Congress of the International Alliance of Women (IAW) takes place from November 22-24. CFUW is an affiliate member of IAW and consequently, as CFUW Club members, we may attend IAW Triennial Congresses. There is no fee to attend the virtual meetings which are spread over 3 days from 10am -2 pm ET.
To register for the 40th Congress go to IAW’s website and check Register for XL Congress.
Here is a link to the IAW Congress agenda and documentation:
Please email me if you have questions.
Grace Hollett, CFUW VP International |
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Welcome to the "CFUW National Board Corner", where over the next weeks we'll introduce you to the dozens of inspiring women from across Canada who help guide CFUW! 🌟
Our national board members bring passion, experience, and vision to their roles. Read their stories and learn a bit more about each one, as together, they guide our organization with integrity, purpose, and heart.
You can access the shared CFUW Board profiles on the CFUW Member's Drive HERE |
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2026 Resolution Intents |
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On behalf of the CFUW Resolutions Committee, we wish to thank the Clubs and Committees who forwarded Resolution Intents. We have reviewed these Intents and confirmed their alignment with CFUW’s mission and are not contained within the current list of Adopted Resolutions or, if similar, the proposed resolution will provide a valuable update to any current adopted resolution.
For the Resolutions schedule for the remainder of 2025-2026 please refer to the Resolutions Information and Guidelines found HERE.
Margaret Therrien and Wendy Taylor
Proposers and 2026 Resolution Intents Intent #1 (CFUW Ottawa) Canadian Response to the Education Response in Afghanistan
Intent #2 (CFUW North Bay) Supporting Our Canadian Economy
Intent #3 (CFUW Northumberland) A Strong, Equitable Canadian Economy
Intent #4 (CFUW Guelph) The Destructive Impact of Disinformation |
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Thinking About Member Proposals?? |
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What are member proposals? Motions of any kind. We usually think of motions discussed at a general meeting as being limited to Resolutions (in CFUW this means motions to establish advocacy policy) and Bylaw amendments.
Members (CFUW Clubs) can submit motions on a variety of topics. As long as they propose action that is within the purposes of CFUW or that addresses how CFUW conducts business (bylaw amendments, amendments to procedure, resolutions, dues motions, nominations) member proposals can be considered at the AGM or a policy session. The Articles and Bylaws Committee handles all such member proposals except nominations, which are handled by the Nominations Committee and “Resolutions”, which are handled by the Resolutions committee. More information, as well as forms, can be found HERE |
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Advocacy Opportunity: Op-Eds |
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An Op-Ed is an opinion piece in a newspaper (including online news publications), in which the author presents evidence and arguments to inform and convince the public about a subject. The purpose is to raise awareness, stimulate debate, or increase support for a particular cause.
Op-Eds can be a useful advocacy tool as their purpose are not to share facts or news or a press release, rather an argument must be made. CFUW clubs and members can use Op-Eds to make arguments for and against the issues that are close to their hearts.
CFUW will host an Op-Ed Challenge in 2026! Now is the ideal time to educate yourself on the dos and don'ts of writing Op-Ed's as CFUW members or clubs and to brainstorm which topics you might want to write about.
You can learn more about Op-Eds by watching the op-ed webinar hosted by the previous National Advocacy and Policy Specialist HERE |
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CFUW National Webinars and Trainings can also be accessed in the CFUW Member's Drive HERE |
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Hotel booking is now available for the 2026 CFUW AGM & Conference.
Book your group rate for CFUW AGM 2026 - If you wish to extend your stay in Montreal, the group rate extends before and after the schedule. See specifics below. Last Day to Book : Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Start Date: Friday, July 17, 2026
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Monday October 27th 4-5:30 pm ET CFUW Awards and Projects: What Works, How to Plan Building on ideas from the Membership Award winning projects recently we heard great ideas. See resources in the Members Drive including the notes from the September MMM on successful recruitment strategies: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tW5KnOfR7Nbf0oWkp36S_VGK0_zpxw7n
Upcoming: Monday November 24th 4-5:30 pm ET Alternative Leadership Models Highlighting CFUW club ideas and other volunteer groups—what are the ingredients for success? Register HERE
Membership Grants for Promotional materials, new projects, and recurring projects—check out the special Grants Club Action Newsletter each Tuesday in October-November. Deadline for our Membership grants is Wednesday, November 19 You can not win if you do not apply!!! |
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We're calling on CFUW clubs to share what they're getting up to within their communities to share and promote on the CFUW National social media platforms!
Send information about what your Club is up-to, along with photos, to Elizabeth Malcolm at memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca |
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Elizabeth Malcolm will be hosting biweekly (every two weeks) drop-in sessions for the CFUW Members Drive and CFUW Members Database. We cover topics such as: how to update Club Executive information, event calendar submissions, resources available in the Members Drive and so much more!
Register HERE
A recording of a previous Drop-In is available HERE |
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Have you checked out the new CFUW Event Calendar? It’s jam packed with CFUW Committee meetings, Club Events, and important dates from the National Office!
Clubs are encouraged to submit their events to the CFUW National Event Calendar through the CFUW Member Database. |
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CFUW Orillia Member Annalynn Faulkner Awarded the Spirit of Ramara Award |
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Congratulations to CFUW Orillia Member Annalynn Faulkner for being awarded the Spirit of Ramara Award!
Annalynn is being recognized for her tireless efforts to improve local trails and waterways, Annalynn has played a key role in enhancing Ramara’s natural spaces for everyone to enjoy - including the CFUW Orillia Hiking Group! She will be receiving her award at a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025.
Read the full story in Orillia Matters. Well deserved Annalynn! |
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Ontario Council Speaker Series — November 29, 2025 — Register HERE
The Role of Patriarchy: Historical Perspectives and Current Issues Featuring Kim Verwaayen, Associate Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, University of Western Ontario
Please join us at 10 AM on Saturday, November 29th for our second Speaker Series Event for 2025-2026. In this virtual session, we welcome Kim Verwaayen, Associate Professor, Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies, University of Western Ontario, as she explores the topic of Patriarchy from a historical and modern perspective. This will be a thoughtful discussion of patriarchy and how society can overcome this social convention rooted in bias. Our Speaker Series events are free, virtual sessions held on our Zoom platform. After the speaker and panel discussion, there will be time to share and chat with other attendees. |
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Petition to the Government of Canada: Single Senior Women and Federal Tax Equity |
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CFUW individual members are encouraged to support this petition put forward by BPWCanada regarding Single Senior Women and Federal Tax Equity. Here is some background to that petition:
Single senior women face disproportionate economic vulnerability: they live longer than men and are over four times as likely to experience poverty compared to their coupled peers (Auditor General, 2024). Furthermore, research indicates that a single senior may pay up to 9.6 times more in taxes than a senior couple (SSTF, 2024). Addressing these disparities aligns with Canada’s commitments as a signatory to the Agreed Conclusions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) sessions and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), reinforcing the country’s obligation to promote gender equity and economic justice for all seniors.
The petition closes on December 28, 2025. |
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Topic: CFUW Yorkton - Silver Circle Monthly Gathering |
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60 Million Girls Annual Virtual Conference Ai for Good: Bridging the Digital Divide Through Innovation |
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60 million girls invites you to explore concrete, real-world applications of AI that are already supporting teachers and students from Brazil to Uganda and beyond. This isn’t about theoretical possibilities—it’s about proven solutions making a difference today.
Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the solution.
Please join us for our FREE virtual event on Wednesday, November 19, at 5:00 p.m. (EST) to see how together, we can harness AI’s potential to create sustainable, transformative impact for the communities that need it most. |
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Register HERE
The Walrus Talks Ending Gender-Based Violence Reception Sponsored by Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, Travel Sponsored by Uber Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at individuals based on their gender. It disproportionately affects women, girls and gender diverse people, impacting over half of Canada’s population and costing lives.
Canada is at a critical turning point in how it responds to gender-based violence. The Walrus Talks Ending Gender-Based Violence brings together activists, advocates and experts to examine pressing policy gaps and cultural shifts that can reduce and prevent gender-based violence. This timely event will highlight lived experience, evidence-based solutions and the need for coordinated, cross-sector action.
Join us in Ottawa for this urgent discussion, part of YWCA Canada’s annual Rose Campaign and just ahead of the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence. Connect with fellow advocates, policymakers, and engaged Canadians as we work toward a future free from violence.
Speakers to be announced.
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Do you want your Club’s newsletter shared in the CFUW Club Action newsletter? Send your newsletter to Elizabeth Malcolm at memberservices@cfuw-fcfdu.ca |
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