Women on Wednesdays is inviting locals to help celebrate its one-year anniversary.
Since launching at River Market in February 2018, WoW has been hosting a meeting on the first Wednesday of every month at different locations in New Westminster. Topics have ranged from volunteering on non-profit boards to calling out injustice to family separation happening in the United States and Canada.
WoW co-organizer Trudi Goels said 2018 was a great year for women in leadership in New West, and the group wants to help keep that momentum going.
“I’m constantly inspired by the strong, passionate, and smart women in my life,” Goels said in a press release. “WoW provides an opportunity for women to connect with and celebrate one another, and to work on issues of shared interest. It’s a fight against the status quo.”
The one-year anniversary celebration will feature four local women who will each speak briefly on what leadership means in their lives. Attendees will also be invited to share their vision for what WoW should focus on for the coming year.
The event is taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. at River Market, 810 Quayside Dr. Light refreshments will be served.
WoW is an organization committed to creating space for women to gather and strengthen their participation and leadership. WoW is informed by the following values: intersectional feminism; allyship; reconciliation; diversity; inclusivity; and accessibility.
According to a press release, WoW supports spaces and actions that are inclusive of all women of diverse backgrounds and experiences, particularly those who have traditionally been excluded, due to the various systemic barriers that continue to exist and be perpetuated.
“I always leave WoW meetings energized and inspired,” said co-organizer Nadine Nakagawa. “After one year, I remain convinced that our society needs to acknowledge and embrace diverse styles of leadership. WoW is one small part of making that a reality.”
In the leadup to last October’s civic election, WoW hosted an all-candidates meeting in August that sought to provide women with an opportunity to hear from candidates about how they would approach issues and policies that affect women.
Information about WoW is available at womenonwednesdays.org, on Facebook @womenonwednesdays on Twitter @womenonwed.
