Our Advocacy Work

The University Women’s Club of Vancouver is a member club of Canadian Federation of University Women (www.cfuw.org) and CFUW BC COUNCIL (www.cfuwbccouncil), through which we are members of  Graduate Women International (formerly IFUW) (www.gwa.org)

In The University Women’s Club of Vancouver we:

  • Regularly study issues relating to the status of women, hum rights, education, and the environment
  • Host forums on social issues such as homelessness in our city and more
  • Study and become involved in the realities and solutions surrounding Child Poverty
  • Work with other community groups to end human trafficking and prostitution
  • Work to increase the safety of women on campus, particularly with the Senate at the University of British Columbia
  • Develop ongoing speaker series on rights, education, health and community issues

Through CFUW we:

  • Are one of 112 clubs representing more than 9000 women across the country
  • Participate in the development of policy and activism on issues related to education, the status of women, equality and human rights, and the environment
  • Advocate for issues following adoption of policy at our AGMs – ranging from gun-control legislation, anti-pornography legislation, rights of the child, human trafficing, prostitution, and more
  • Provide scholarships through CFUW Charitable Trust and fundraise for the CFUW Ecole Polytechnqiue Commemorative Award
  • Have Special Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC0).   Since 1968 CFUW has sent a representative to the annual Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) Consultation on the Status of Women. Five members of our Club travelled to New York to present a workshop at the UN in 2013
  • CFUW is a member of the Canadian Committee for UNESCO’s subcommittee on education.

Internationally through GWA we:

  • Are the largest affiliate of GWA
  • Support and are involved in the development of community leadership skills for women throughout the world.
  • Have developed policy and advocacy for the rights of the child.
  • Support GWI work in offering international fellowships
  • GWI has Special Consultative Status at ECOSOC, UNICEF, UNESCO, and the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Get Involved

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
–Margaret Mead