Issues and Advocacy

In this Together

I am my sister’s keeper

We’re in this together

Not to win

Not to compete

Not to conquer

But to educate

To nurture

To help

We are each the other’s keeper

Let us celebrate

The power within us all

To make the difference

To change the world.

Natasha Josefowitz

CFUW, and the members of CFUW-Ottawa have a long history of advocating for a better world for women and girls. We’ve worked on issues including women’s health, disarmament, equality and human rights, education, and violence against women. Our advocacy includes letter-writing; meetings with legislators, and special events such as public meetings and fundraisers.

Click here to see a PowerPoint presentation summarizing 100 years of CFUW Advocacy. It was prepared for the CFUW AGM that took place in Winnipeg in August 2019.

CFUW-Ottawa members work on local issues. We support CFUW-Ontario Council on provincial issues, and the CFUW National Board on national and international issues. Our advocacy is always based on policies which have been approved by our members. Click here to see the CFUW policy book, which contains some 400 policies approved from 1964-2020.

Policies developed by CFUW-Ottawa include (click here for details):

Trafficking in Human Beings (2001);
Protecting the Health of Canadians by Reducing Environmental Toxins (2009);
Full Accessibility and Barrier-free Environments for Persons with Disabilities (2012);
Reduction of Dietary Sodium (2013);
Age Discrimination in Ontario Employee Benefit Plans (2016 - CFUW Ontario Council);
Payday Loans (2020).

CFUW policies provide the basis for actions that:

• Encourage our member to educate themselves;

• Provide direction for the organization;

• Document positions to lobby all levels of government;

• Collaborate with other organizations.

If CFUW does not already have policy on an issue of concern, we develop a policy resolution for approval by CFUW membership. Our CFUW-Ottawa Issues and Advocacy Committees research and discuss policy issues of concern as well as develop policy resolutions, review proposals put forward by other clubs, and provide information in our club's newsletter, The Capital Carillon, and on our website.

We invite you to join us!

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