Our Advocacy

The Feminist Shift, YW Kitchener-Waterloo and YWCA Cambridge take particular care to ensure that our advocacy is intersectional, focused systemically and rooted in real life experiences in our region.

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Intersectional

In our advocacy we practice intersectional feminism, understanding how a person’s social and political identities combine to create different experiences of privilege and discrimination. We reflect this knowledge in our interventions.

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Systemic

Our advocacy looks at both gender-based violence and the social infrastructure issues that inform it.  We look at issues like economic security, housing, employment, and child care, to understand how inequities in these systems inform and amplify violence.   

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Rooted

Our advocacy reflects the voices of those with lived experience. Through the delivery of social programming our organizations engage directly with those most impacted by systemic inequity. Our interventions are informed by and reflective of their experiences.

Our Advocacy Projects

2022 Provincial Candidate's Survey

Learn more about our local candidates

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Learn where leadership stands on issues important to you.

Candidates Survey on Feminist Issues

This collaborative survey is an effort between YW Kitchener-Waterloo, YWCA Cambridge, Coalition of Muslim Women Kitchener-Waterloo, Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC), SHORE Centre ( Sexual Health, Options, Resources, Education) , and Women’s Crisis Services Waterloo Region. Together we are presenting provincial election candidates throughout Waterloo Region with a set of questions on behalf of feminist voters in our Region who wish to seek information, see action, or better understand your response to key provincial government issues most affecting cis and trans women, and non-binary individuals.

Building An Equitable City

The intersects of urban planning, community building and social justice

Building Equitable Cities Logo

Happening throughout 2022

Building an Equitable City

We have partnered with the City of Kitchener to bring a speaker series to you focused on how to build an equitable city that brings together aspects of urban planning, diversity and inclusion, community building and social justice so that moving forward our community has the knowledge and skills to consider the needs of an array of citizens in it’s design and decision making.

This speaker series happens quarterly.

Network of Neighbours Violence Intervention training

Come train with us on how to support a neighbour experiencing violence

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Knowing what to do is the hardest part of acting.

Building a network of caring neighbours.

Network of Neighbours Violence Intervention Training is a free two hour workshop that helps citizens understand the nature of violence and how to support a neighbour who may be experiencing gender-based violence in the home through techniques like harm reduction and allyship, bystander intervention, prevention talks, calling law enforcement, and fleeing violence.  Participants will have the opportunity to practice their skills through scenarios with the facilitators and their peers. This is an interactive online workshop.

Feminist Economic Recovery: Waterloo Region

Ensuring women bounce back from COVID-19

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Rebuilding with a Feminist Lens

A Feminist Economic Recovery: Waterloo Region Edition

Check out a recap of our panel style learning event that collided feminist theory with economics, public policy, and macro social work, to explore further what a feminist focused recovery from this pandemic could look like in Waterloo Region and how it can positively impact the wellbeing of our community.
Featuring Anjum Sultana, Katherine Scott, Ginette Lafrenière & Elizabeth Clarke 

A Feminist Data Story

The experience of women told through stats

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Feminist Data Tied to Our Community

Data for Good Report

This document was complied by over 60 volunteers with the Data for Good Waterloo Region chapter. This group looked at open source data bases and Stats Canada to compile this feminist data story. The report covers topics like economic security, employment, experiences of sexual assault and the reporting and legal justice process.