Supporting the Women’s Centre of Calgary in words and donations.
By Katrina Hertzer
To quote our team lead, Sabrina Kooistra, “Our role as a student-led group is to highlight the efforts of the Women’s Centre of Calgary and to encourage donations to support vulnerable women in our city.”
From our beginning, YYC for Women has existed to support the women of Calgary, not only through words but actions.
As a group, we decided to pick items from the Women’s Centre’s 12 Basic Needs List. These are everyday essentials that make a huge impact in the lives of those who use them are always in need at the Centre.
It is our hope that by being a positive example for giving, we can encourage others to do the same.
The fight for women’s rights and gender equality is not reserved for women, these humanitarian causes can use all the help they can get.
By Alex Roberts
Figure 1. Simon Pegg’s #HeForShe Tweet. (2020, April 12). [screenshot]
While women’s rights activism can be seen as addressing a specific issue that only affects some of the population, it’s important to understand that fighting for the rights of some people is the same as fighting for the rights of all people. Making sure that women in need are able to access the resources they deserve and need to survive is a humanitarian issue, and that means that everyone who is interested in helping has a place in the system designed to help.
There are several roles that men can take on as allies in the work towards achieving equal gender rights and opportunities. Men in positions of power can use their power to help women with less power, such as male CEOs and company executives making sure their organizations have strong sexual harassment policies, equal opportunities for women to work their way up the chain of command, good maternity benefits, and a non-toxis, welcoming wor environment. Male politicians can also help women by putting forward pro-equality bills and policies that shape our society through our laws.
But you don’t have to have a lot of power, or money, to be a male ally to women. Volunteering your time at organizations that help women (such as the Women’s Centre of Calgary), or donating items or providing your professional services for free to these organizations are other great ways of making a difference.
Figure 2. Roberts, 2020. Infographic created using canva.com
Get Involved Locally
There is already widespread recognition for those in Calgary making strides in the way of gender equality. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce gives out their Influential Women in Business Awards annually, shining the spotlight on a variety of Calgarians working to make things better for women in this city, including a Male Champion award honouring “a senior executive male who is an ally and supporter of corporate female executives. He advocates for men and women to work together towards gender parity and demonstrates a commitment to champion women in his workplace and in the community” (CIWB Awards, 2020). The 2020 recipient of this award was John Osler from the legal firm McCarthy Tetrault.
Just because the Calgary Chamber of Commerce only awards one notable male ally per year doesn’t mean that there aren’t several more working behind the scenes towards the same goal. What’s important is that every man do his part to make sure his workplace is a positive environment for women.
Another great way of getting involved at the local level is to find local organizations whose mission is to help women and donate things specific to their needs. For example, the Calgary Women’s Centre normally gives out material goods to women in need, which they can only do so long as people donate the items needed (we compiled a list in this article). They also offer financial and legal advice to women who need them, so if you or a male ally you know are in a position to volunteer these skills, you could contact the Women’s Centre and ask if you can help.
Speak Up
Aside from concrete actions such as policy-making and donations, men can also help women by speaking up for gender equality. The United Nations launched a global initiative to encourage men to advocate for women, called HeForShe, in 2014. This campaign, aiming to fight against negative stereotypes surrounding gender and sexist behaviours, features celebrity spokespeople including actors Emma Watson, Simon Pegg, and Kiefer Sutherland as well as CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Having these high-profile backers helps HeForShe get the word out to men around the world that they can help women through their voices.
Figure 3. HeForShe.org. 2020, April 11. [screenshot]
HeForShe also has specific campaigns meant to drive home the fact that even the smallest actions and words can contribute to making a larger difference. In March, they debuted the #YearOfMaleAllyship social media campaign to encourage male allies to share their stories about why gender equality is important to them. To participate, all you have to do is:
Post a picture of yourself or another male ally who has a story to share holding a sign that reads #HeForShe
Write a response to the question “What does gender equality mean to you?”
Post to social media with the hashtag #YearOfMaleAllyship and tag @HeForShe
Email the photo and text answer to the official HeForShe email: HeForShe@unwomen.org and they will post your story to their official social media accounts
If you’re in need of services offered by the Women’s Centre of Calgary, don’t worry… some services are still available remotely.
By Katrina Hertzer
Figure 1. Hertzer, 2020. Infographic created using Canva.com
During this time of uncertainty, the Women’s Centre of Calgary is still here for the community of women it serves.
Programs are now either offered via telephone at 403-264-1155 or via their website at womenscentrecalgary.org. If you have questions, please call Monday to Thursday, between the hours of 9:30am and 3:30pm.
Volunteer Opportunities are still available at this time for Phone/Peer Support. Please visit this link to apply online and you will be contacted as needed.
Women who are looking for Peer Support Program services: peer support, community support including referrals, advocacy and other community resources, please call the phone number above or email info@womenscentrecalgary.org.
Girls Programs are available online via Instagram, please follow @girlsleadyyc.
Another great way to interact with the Women’s Centre is through their Facebook page where there are great opportunities for learning and frequent updates from the Centre.
For those who must continue working and use public transit, there’s strategies for keeping yourself safe
By Katrina Hertzer
Figure 1. Alberta.ca. (2020, April 8). [Screenshot].
The Alberta.ca website is full of useful resources for residents during this Covid-19 epidemic.
The circumstances of our situations can be very different. Many working parents are still required to work outside their homes in order to meet financial obligations. Others may have to venture out to access medical treatment or simply just to gather food supplies for the week.
If you’re using public transportation, there’s helpful tips for you to keep in mind while using transit:
Cover your cough
Avoid touching your face after pushing buttons, holding railings, etc.
Try to maintain as much distance as possible between yourself and other riders
Sanitize hands on exit
Riding the elevator? Please remember:
Avoid overcrowding– take the stairs or wait for the next elevator
Cover your cough
Avoid touching your face after pushing the button
Limit the number in an elevator car to 2-3 people
Wash with soap or sanitize your hands after leaving the elevator
New recommendations also include wearing non-medical masks as a protective measure. Visit this link to learn how to wear your mask properly.
Protecting yourself is key to keeping our community healthy. Please practice physical distancing while you’re venturing outside your home and stay healthy!
In this new climate of uncertainty, Dr. Deena Hinshaw has quickly become a reassuring face.
By Katrina Hertzer
Figure 1. Hinshaw, 2019.
She’s likely one of the most recognizable women in Alberta today.
Since the first confirmed Covid-19 case in our province, we have looked to her daily updates for information and reassurance. Her name is Dr. Deena Hinshaw and she’s Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health.
In this new climate of uncertainty, she has quickly become a reassuring face for us as we comb through the news cycles reporting on new cases and deaths beyond our borders.
As a natural communicator, she has built a trust with Albertans by providing updates and directives that are clear and concise. Her calm demeanor radiates in press conferences where audiences hang on the delivery of each word.
Her time in the spotlight has transitioned her into a local hero. Artists have honoured her contribution by creating pieces in her honour.
Figure 2. Dankin, 2020.
Hinshaw’s time in the spotlight has also sparked a renewed interest in a dress made by a B.C. designer, Smoking Lily, which she wore during one of her Covid-19 daily updates.
Figure 3. The Canadian Press, 2020.
Her leadership role today as Chief Medical Officer of Alberta is a benefit to each one of us. And these are the reasons why #SheInspiresMe.
Social distancing doesn’t mean you don’t have to stop donating to women in need.
By Katrina Hertzer
Figure 1. Hertzer, 2020. Infographic created with Canva.com
While practicing social distancing at home, you’ve probably been looking for things to do with yourself with all this new free time in your schedule.
Sewing reusable totes for the Women’s Centre of Calgary is a simple activity you can do to help others and be creative. We have used a simple guide pattern from a grassroots organization called the Green Bag Lady, to make our donation totes.
The Green Bag Lady, an organization founded by Teresa VanHatten-Granath, has been making reusable shopping bags out of donated fabric since 2008. To date, that’s over 130,248 bags worldwide! Her organization has created a very simple pattern on her blog: Green Bag Lady, as well as a DIY video for step by step assembly below:
Figure 1. Teresa Granath, November 3, 2008.
Sew one or sew a few! Reusable shopping bags are a great way to curb our use of plastics and paper, and making them is a great way to do good while keeping yourself occupied (and safe).
It’s the perfect time of year to understand how donating to charity will benefit you in your tax return.
Figure 1. (moreharmony, n.d.)
By Alex Roberts
With our new tax deadlines looming just around the corner, it’s a great time to understand how donating to charities such as the Women’s Centre of Calgary helps you pay less in taxes at the end of the year.
Canada has relatively generous policies for tax credits on charitable donations, though exactly how much of your donations are tax deductible depends on the amount as well as your income and provincial regulations.
The first step in claiming your tax deduction is making sure that the organization you donated too has the authority to issue you an official donation receipt, since only some charities have the federal government’s permission to do so. The Women’s Centre of Calgary is one of them, and to find out which other organizations qualify, you can search the Government of Canada’s database of certified charities here.
You then need to know how much you have donated. Donations before December 31st 2019 will count for your upcoming tax filing, as well as any unclaimed donations over the last 5 years. Each province as well as the federal government has a percentage of donations under $200 that can be redeemed, and a different percentage for the sum of donations over $200. For the federal credit, you can claim 15% of your first $200 of donations and 29% of the money over that amount. This means that if you donate $300, your federal tax credit would be 15% of the first $200, so $30, plus 29% of the $100 over that, so $29, giving you a total of $59 dollars in credit.
On top of the federal credit amount, however, you can also claim an amount provincially, though each province has its own laws on how much of your donations under and over the $200 line can be redeemed. In Alberta, you can receive 15% of your first $200 and 21% of donations after that (TaxTips, 2019). So for the $300 example donation given above, you would also receive $30 on the first $200, and $21 on the last $100. This brings your provincial total to $51, which you would then add to your federal credit for the total amount that you would receive in credit for 2019: 59 + 51 = $110.
Figure 2. Roberts, 2020. Infographic created using Canva.com.
For more information on taxes and charitable tax credits, you can check out the Canada Revenue Agency’s website here.
There are also great online resources to help you navigate the process of claiming donations, such as TurboTax Canada’s article on tax benefits of charitable donations and this table on TaxTips.ca that displays the provincial rates for charitable tax credits in 2019.
TheRussian activist fighting against domestic violence.
By Anna Bourgogne
Figure 1. Alena Popova, 2016.
With a journalism and law degree in hand, Russian social and political activist Alena Popova fights to end domestic violence. She is a women’s rights activist who advocates for the implementation of an anti domestic violence law in Russia. Her actions inspire me to act.
She felt a call to action when she witnessed the violent beating of her friend, who had for only explanation “perhaps this was all my fault”, to excuse her boyfriend’s brutal behavior (Together For Girls, 2017).
Her journalism background helps her in her various social media awareness campaigns to denounce domestic violence (InterviewHer, 2020). One of her social media awareness campaigns particularly noteworthy: she photographed herself having written on her arm “#Янехотелаумирать” which translates to “#Ididn’twanttodie”. With this hashtag, she denounces the silencing of domestic abuse victims who were too scared for their life to speak up. Many women replicated the picture and shared it on social media, pushing for the first law that would punish domestic violence in Russia (Shah & Kyriukhina, 2019).
Figure 2. Alena Popova, 2019.
Popova also posts photographs of staged scenes of domestic violence, such as the one below, which shows that women cannot speak up, as if their mouths were taped. What really stands out in her work is that she doesn’t only talk about domestic violence, she shows it through staged pictures. It gets through to the audience much more and really encourages action.
Figure 3. Alena Popova. 2019, December 9. [screenshot].
In addition to her fight for women’s rights, Alena Popova is the founder of Ethic and Tech, an organization for technological privacy and the limitation of surveillance, another area of human rights’ activism she takes interest in.
Why is she inspiring? Because, she acted when she could have just looked away. From one single event, she decided to do her part to fight against domestic violence. She did not start with the notoriety she has today. There is a very high chance that she lost many friends who did not approve of her ideas. She very probably fought for her ideas on her own for some time, but she kept doing her part.
While it is true that there are laws to protect individuals against domestic violence in Canada, unfortunately, it does not mean that it prevents it. Domestic violence is a universal issue. Legislation might make it more punishable in certain places, but it has no country, color, or age.
For more information about how Popova’s cause hits home in our city, Katrina, our ethics manager wrote a great post on domestic violence in Calgary, which explores this issue in a local context.
The Women’s Centre has many resources to help and inform women about domestic violence. They also offer free legal advice to victims of domestic violence. I highly recommend taking a look at their website, it might be helpful to you, or someone you know.
Popova, A. [@alenapopova]. (2019, December 9). Выкладываем свой текст закона о профилактике домашнего насилия: хватит манипуляций, лжи и запугивания родителей! [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B52rVTgIG9C/
Shah, D & Kiryukhina, Y. (2019, July 23). ‘I didn’t want to die’: Why are Russians using bloody make-up to tackle domestic abuse?. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-49081045
The Women’s Centre of Calgary says its legal help workshops will continue.
By Sabrina Kooistra
While the Women’s Centre of Calgary remains closed in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, they will continue to serve Calgarian women through over-the-phone legal help sessions.
Check out this infographic with more information about this free service:
Figure 1. Kooistra, 2020. Infographic created using Canva.com.
For more services still being offered, click here.
In spite of the current health situation, the Women’s Centre of Calgary is continuing to offer many of its supports and services.
By Sabrina Kooistra
Indeed these are uncertain times.
While we navigate this new health reality, we are reminded that while the world seems to be put on pause, social issues march on. In fact, in times like these, many of us find ourselves more emotionally and financially strained than ever.
But there are still supports available to us even with widespread closures.
While the Women’s Centre of Calgary remains closed until further notice, they are still taking phone calls and emails to those who need support. Check out this infographic with a list of services still offered:
Figure 1. Kooistra, 2020. Infographic created using Canva.com.
To see an expanded version of this list, click here.
YYC for Women 