Congratulations are in order
National Council of Women of Canada Celebrates 115 Years of Service



On October 27, 1893, at a public meeting in Toronto, over 1,500 women joined forces to form the National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC), knowing that by working together and speaking with a united voice, they would be much more effective. Looking back over the last 115 years, NCWC has played a pivotal role in advancing the status of women in Canada. In the 1990’s, the Government of Canada recognized NCWC as having National Historic Significance, and in 2005 Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada formally unveiled a plaque to this effect in Allan Park in Toronto, site of that first NCWC meeting.



One hundred and fifteen years later, our mission continues to be: “To empower all women to work together towards improving the quality of life for women, families, and society through a forum of member organizations and individuals”.



Today NCWC represents many thousands of Canadian women from extremely diverse backgrounds, through our membership which consists of 17 Local Councils, 24 Nationally Organized Societies, and 5 Provincial Councils. Some of the issues that we are currently focusing on include: advocating for a National Water Strategy and a National Energy Strategy; reform of the Employment Insurance system; and the need to maintain and strengthen one-tier universal health care.



"This is a pivotal time in history for women in our country," said President Karen Dempsey. "There is still much more work to be done, and most importantly, we have to be vigilant to ensure that what we have accomplished is not "undone.”



To commemorate this historic occasion, we have launched the NCWC Firm the Foundation Fund. Monies raised will enable the Council to continue their efforts on behalf of women, families, and society. For information, please call 1-613-232-5025, email ncwc@magma.ca, and visit our website at www.ncwc.ca.