Member Only Blog
by Susan Vecchiarelli
Although the CFUW 2025 AGM was held virtually July 11th – 13th, once again I was impressed with the passion of our clubs’ members across Canada, thrilled to be a part of this strong organization, and rejuvenated for our upcoming year.
As you know, advocacy is one of the pillars of our local club and, over the years, CFUW has taken a stand on innumerable issues. All resolutions passed by CFUW from 1964 can be found at: https://www.cfuw.org/assets/pdf/Adopted+Resolutions+2024/. All seven 2025 resolutions were passed at the National AGM and will be added to the policy book, and resources will be prepared for the fall.
1. Addressing Period Poverty and Menstrual Inequity in Canada 2. Expanding Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services 3. Supporting 2SLGBTQ+ Rights 4. Strengthening the Awareness and Safekeeping of Individuals and Their Animals Experiencing Domestic Violence 5. Equitable Phase-out of Fossil Fuels 6. Archiving Select CFUW Adopted Resolutions 7. Affirming Housing as a Human Right and Social Good
In May 2025, two Ontario Council resolutions were passed at the AGM:
1. Funding for Post-Secondary Education in Ontario
2. The Establishment of a Seniors’ Advocate The Aging and Long-Term Care Working Group looks forward to continuing its work by advocating for the establishment of a Seniors’ Advocate (Ontario Council Resolution 2). Please consider joining Elena DiBattista, Kathryn Murrell, Janis Randall Simpson, Wyn Rosenberger, and me.
To become more familiar with what is going on internationally, nationally, and provincially, please subscribe to:
1. CFUW Club Action Newsletter 2. Ontario Council News
Ontario Council has hosted three advocacy sessions annually for many years. During COVID-19 the in-person keynote and breakout speakers format shifted to virtual presentations. Because speakers and participants can be brought together from all over the globe, Ontario Council is continuing to offer its Speaker Series virtually. Please save the dates: Saturday, October 25; Saturday, November 29; and Saturday, February 21 from 10am to noon. The topics and registration forms will be in upcoming Ontario Council News newsletters, so please subscribe.
These newsletters are very informative and easy to read with a list of the items in the edition at the top. There is more than Advocacy in these newsletters—you will find articles about Artificial Intelligence, How to Avoid Phishing Scams, fundraising events, upcoming webinars, etc., National’s Member Drive (resources, form to book Zoom meetings on a National account), etc., and other clubs’ newsletters.
Thank you to the following women who agreed to join me and the Aging & Long-Term Care members on our club’s 2025-2026 Advocacy Committee: Catherine Deacon-Barrett, Lisa Forwell, Mary Lawrence, Elaine Lewis, and Dorothy McCabe.
The Advocacy Committee is always looking for new members. Some initiatives are year-long commitments; others are one-time (e.g., December 6th Vigil; Out of the Cold; Tiny Acts of Kindness; review OC and CFUW Resolutions).
I have not decided how our Advocacy meetings will be held but I am definitely leaning towards Zoom meetings. The days and time of day will depend on everyone’s availability.
A planning session will be organized early in September to decide on this year’s focus.
Please contact Susan Vecchiarelli (msvecchiarelli@rogers.com; 519-885-7924) if you would like to join the Advocacy Committee in any way or if you have questions.
Educating girls and women is a core purpose of CFUW locally and nationally. The national CFUW Charitable Trust has an excellent scholarship program for women pursuing graduate studies. If you know someone who is looking at graduate studies, encourage her to apply for a nationally funded scholarship. A link to application details is in this article.
A few months ago, national office started a program called “Membership Moments”. It is a series of focused conversations regarding how to improve club activities. Every member is invited to attend and details on how to “Zoom in,” as well as summaries of the last few sessions, can be found in this article.
Finally, from national, there is an update about a CFUW brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women. On December 6, CFUW K-W club members attended the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women Vigil that was held at 5:30pm at the St. Columba Anglican Church at 250 Lincoln Rd, in Waterloo, Ontario.
On Friday, November 15, the applications opened for the 2025-2026 Charitable Trust Awards. The applications are managed by Universities Canada, but the selection of award winners will be made by the CFUW Fellowships Committee. The application portal will remain open until January 10.
Almost without exception, CFUW Clubs have their own scholarship funds, but the majority of these are supporting young women graduating from high school. The Charitable Trust (CT) awards are for women pursuing graduate studies. This year there will be fourteen awards and information can be found on the CT website at www.cfuwcharitabletrust.ca.
The Trust invites Clubs to share this information with their members and to ask them, in turn, to share within their network of friends and family. Clubs may also have contacts with their local university. CFUW has been funding further studies for women since 1919 and it is the support of CFUW Clubs and individual members that enables the CT to continue its work.
CFUW National has introduced a new feature called Monday Membership Moments. It is a Zoom meeting and takes place on the 4th Monday of every month at 4pm ET.
Topics have included attracting new members, raising our profile, and making CFUW known in our communities and retaining new recruits.
There have been three Membership Moments sessions so far. The PowerPoint and notes from the sessions are available on the Member’s Drive here (https://cfuw.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8efb82640cb8bc1fd889b4668&id=4147c07f8e&e=a6e15b7545) or go to Biennium 2024-2026 then CFUW Committees then Membership, Projects, MemMoments.
We’ll let you know when the January session topic is announced, so you can plan to join if it is of interest to you.
CFUW recently submitted a brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women for its study on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. Our brief focused on the importance of gun control measures as a critical way to prevent femicide.
CFUW has a long history of advocating for stricter gun control, following the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre. Access to firearms is one of the highest risk indicators for intimate partner violence resulting in death. The danger is particularly high in rural areas, where both the risk of gender-based violence and access to guns are higher. In fact, firearms are the most common method used to kill an intimate partner or child in rural areas. Guns are also used as tools to intimidate, control, and coerce, with their presence in the home often making it too dangerous for women to leave abusive situations.
Read CFUW’s full parliamentary brief.
On 13 June 2024, supporters of literacy and community gathered for a truly memorable evening to raise funds for Strong Start, an organization dedicated to helping children develop critical early literacy skills.
The highlight of the night was an intimate and engaging conversation between beloved author Louise Penny and celebrated broadcaster Shelagh Rogers. With humor, warmth, and candor, they discussed Louise’s creative process, the inspirations behind her Chief Inspector Gamache series, and the transformative power of books. Guests were captivated by the stories shared, from personal anecdotes to reflections on the role of community in fostering resilience and hope.
The event also featured a delicious three-course dinner, a lively auction, and a heartfelt appeal to support Strong Start’s impactful programs. Thanks to the generosity of attendees and supporters, the evening surpassed its fundraising goals, ensuring that even more children will gain the essential tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.
We are deeply grateful to Louise Penny, Shelagh Rogers, our sponsors, and everyone who contributed to making this event a resounding success. Together, we’ve helped open the door to brighter futures for countless children.
Thank you for being part of this incredible journey!
On April 2023, a vibrant crowd gathered at Doubletree in Kitchener for a remarkable evening in support of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WA) and Journalists for Human Rights (JHR). The event celebrated the power of truth, storytelling, and advocacy, raising vital funds to support education, freedom of expression, and human rights worldwide.
The evening’s centerpiece was an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation between award-winning journalist Lisa LaFlamme and acclaimed broadcaster Jeff Hutchinson. Together, they delved into pressing global issues, the challenges of reporting in today’s complex world, and the courage it takes to uncover and share stories that matter. Their candid discussion offered guests an insider’s view of journalism’s role in defending human rights and amplifying marginalized voices.
Thanks to the generosity of our attendees, sponsors, and supporters, the evening surpassed all expectations. The funds raised will empower CW4WA to continue their life-changing work in education and advocacy for Afghan women and help JHR to train journalists around the globe to report on human rights with accuracy and integrity.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lisa LaFlamme, Jeff Hutchinson, and everyone who joined us for this extraordinary evening. Together, we are making a profound difference in the pursuit of equality, education, and justice.
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Email: cfuwkw@gmail.com Snail Mail: P.O. Box 376 New Dundee, Ontario, N0B 2E0
