Advocacy Highlights for February 2026:

• “Finding Hope Despite the Despair:  Moving forward to end gender-based violence”, CFUW Perth & District’s January General Meeting speaker, Pamela Cross;
• Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series event “AI:  Artificial Intelligence and Education”, Feb. 21 via Zoom;
• 2026 Ontario Council and National CFUW Resolutions.

Canadian feminist lawyer and author Pamela Cross spoke to CFUW Perth & District on January 19 about “Finding Hope Despite the Despair: Moving forward to end gender-based violence (GBV)”. Susan Vecchiarelli and Lisa Warmerdam attended via Zoom and learned about recent developments, some long fought for, that do give Pamela hope. Federal Bill C-16, The Protecting Victims Act, is expected to go to second reading this month. It would make femicide a first-degree crime and criminalize coercive control.  Also going into second reading is private member’s bill C-223 which would expand the excellent 2021 updates to the Divorce Act by making screening for family violence mandatory for all lawyers involved in family law as well as including a list of myths and stereotypes around family violence right in the Divorce Act. Consider reading Pamela’s 2024 book  “And Sometimes They Kill You:  Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence”.  

Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series:

“AI: Artificial Intelligence and Education”, the topic of Ontario Council’s speaker series on Saturday, February 21^st from 10:00 am to noon is open for registration: https://cfuwontcouncil.org/standing-committees/

Reviewers for the 2026 Resolutions are needed. Individuals and teams will look at the resolutions and their intents, background materials, and bibliographies. Recommendations to support the resolutions or not will be presented to club members. The decisions of our members will direct our club’s voting delegate at the upcoming Ontario Council and National AGMs in May and July respectively. Ontario Council’s resolutions will be published February 15; April 1 is the deadline to receive amendments.  CFUW National’s Resolutions will be published in the March 6 Club Action Newsletter; the deadline for receiving amendments is April 30^th. Please contact our Vice-President, Anne Strickland, at rtrez0402@gmail if you are interested in reviewing a resolution.

• The 16 Days of Activism Campaign (Nov. 25 – Dec. 10) raises awareness about gender-based violence and advocates for its end.  The days that are commemorated are:
• November 25:  International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
• November 29:  International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
• December 3:  International Day of Persons with Disabilities
• December 6:  National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
• December 10:  International Human Rights Day
• Purple ribbons were distributed at our November general meeting to be worn on jackets or attached to purses to show support for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The color purple represents peace, courage, survival, and honours women who have experienced violence. Thank you, Elena DiBattista, for purchasing and preparing the ribbons, pins, and tags.                                                                             

Many club members wore purple and participated in the VOICES EMPOWER Walk to Break the Silence on Saturday, November 22. It was wonderful to support the Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region and help raise money for Anselma House and Haven House.

Janice Reiner prepared two handouts for our November general meeting:

Active Bystander Strategies (The 5Ds)

A person becomes an active bystander when they see an event or situation which is problematic, inappropriate, or harmful, and intervenes either directly or indirectly. We all have the potential to be active bystanders.

Local community partners emphasize the 5D Active Bystander Model for safe intervention when witnessing problematic or harmful situations: 

1)  Distract: Interrupt the situation indirectly. This could involve spilling a drink "accidentally," asking the person causing harm an unrelated question, or creating a commotion to break the flow of potential harm.

2)  Delegate: Ask for help from a third party or someone in a position of authority, such as a store manager, bouncer, or bus driver. You can also ask others nearby to assist, as there is safety in numbers.

3)  Document: Record the incident with video, audio, or notes, but only if safe to do so. Always ask the person being harmed what they want done with the documentation before posting or sharing it, as a lack of consent can cause further harm.

4)  Direct: Directly respond to the harm by naming it (e.g., "That's not okay" or "Leave them alone") or showing disapproval with body language (frowning, crossing arms). Assess the situation for safety first, as direct intervention can sometimes escalate the situation.

5)  Delay: Check in with the person who experienced the harm after the incident. Offer support, acknowledge that it was not their fault, and help them find resources. This can prevent self-blame and reduce trauma. 

The primary principle is to prioritize your own safety and the safety of others. There is a difference between feeling uncomfortable and feeling unsafe; trust your instincts. 

Hand Signal for Help

                                                                    

Reports:

“Declaring Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic in Ontario”, Ontario Council Speaker Event, Sat., Oct. 25 via Zoom was attended by club members Anne Strickland, Lisa Warmerdam, and Susan Vecchiarelli.  MPP Kristy Wong-Tam explained the history of Bill 55, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2025 (formerly Bill 173), how it failed to be passed three times last year, and the current status.  For more information and to sign a petition supporting Bill 55, click here.  Author and podcaster, Fartumo Kusow, told the story of her daughter’s murder by her former partner.

“Creating Collective Impact Against Gender-Based Violence”, CFUW National first of three webinars, November 14 via Zoom, was attended by Lisa Warmerdam and Susan Vecchiarelli.  This introductory session provided information and discussion about how our clubs can work collaboratively with community partners.  Session 2 will be held Jan. 15.  Please contact Susan Vecchiarelli (msvecchiarelli@rogers.com) if interested in registering.

Upcoming Webinar:  Sat., Feb. 21, 2026, Critical Thinking & Artificial Intelligence

The Advocacy Committee met on October 16 and decided to proceed with these initiatives:

• The Aging and Long-Term Care working group will focus on the 2025 Ontario Council resolution to urge the province to establish a Seniors’ Advocate.
• A new working group will investigate the current local status of housing.
• The Winter Clothing Drive and the Tiny Acts of Kindness drives will support the Tiny Home Takeout and its Bell Tower Resource Room.
• The “Walk to Break the Silence”, Nov. 22 at 1pm, will raise funds for Anselma House and Haven House of the Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
• A December 6^th Vigil will be held to commemorate the 14 women who were killed on December 6, 1989 at École Polytechnique in Montreal.

Upcoming Ontario Council Speaker Series:

• Sat., Nov. 29 – “The Role of Patriarchy: Historical Perspectives & Current Issues”

To register, go to “cfuwontcouncil” à”Events”à”Speaker Series”.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

November 15 – December 10

The "16 Days of Activism", an annual international campaign, starts on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and ends on Human Rights Day. The campaign aims to raise awareness, call for action, and renew commitments to end violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals.  

Gender-based violence takes on many forms:

• Domestic violence or intimate partner violence
• Sexual harassment or assault
• Child marriage
• Psychological or emotional abuse
• Human trafficking
• Financial/economic abuse
• Stalking
• Femicide
• Female genital cutting/mutilation
• Online/digital violence

Ways to Take Action

• Donate to or volunteer at a women’s shelter, sexual assault or crisis centre, or an Indigenous women’s support centre.
• Read the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’ Calls for Justice and consider how you can act on them.
• Wear purple on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to raise awareness.
• Wear a white ribbon and attend a vigil on December 6.
• Write a letter to your representatives urging them to stand against violence against women, harassment, and toxicity in politics.
• Write an op-ed or letter to the editor to raise awareness about gender-based violence and ways to combat it.

Upcoming Advocacy Events:  1.  Oct. 25: Ontario Council Zoom Speaker “Declaring Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic in Ontario”, 2.  Oct. 16: Zoom Advocacy Committee Meeting, 3.  December 6^th Vigil

What does Advocacy mean? Advocacy is a core function of CFUW and is at the heart of the mission and vision of CFUW.  As described in the September 12^th CFUW Club Action newsletter, Advocacy is responsible for many things we now take for granted such as universal Medicare in Canada, women's voting rights, matrimonial property rights, and paid maternity leave.

CFUW has three National Advocacy Priorities: 

1. Equity & Social Justice (gender equality; gender-based violence; poverty & homelessness; safe & strong institutions); 
2. Education (life-long learning & member education; diversity, equity, & inclusion; Artificial Intelligence & digital education); 
3. Safe & Healthy Communities (Long-term care & aging in place; quality, equitable public healthcare; climate change & green policies; environmental conservation).

Advocacy Report, 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.