National Council of Women of Canada

This NGO (non-governmental organization) was founded in 1893, incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1914, and given national historic significance status on April 30th, 2001 by the Government of Canada. Since 1893 NCWC has been working to improve the lives of women, children and communities in Canada. The About Us section details our mission statement as well as other relevant information.

Photo of members Helen Saravanamuttoo and Adele Muldoon from the Ottawa Council of Women supporting the Walk for Justice on Parliament Hill. NCWC signed a Joint Declaration with the Native Women's Association of Canada, and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs which included supporting the Walk for Justice and many Council members participated across Canada. Photo Credit: Anne Minh-Thu Quach, MP.

If you would like to join an organization for women that continues to make a difference, please contact the Local Council of Women in your area or contact us for more information.

We are pleased to announce the material on our web site on Women and Mental Health - the Common Program for all NCWC members for the period 2011-2013. Do check it out frequently as we will be adding to it.

Our 2011 Annual General Meeting and Conference, was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, June 2nd to June 5th. It was a special time to share and learn together. Resolutions were debated, and are now available . Two special public programs were offered: Women and Mental Health and Honouring Our Aboriginal Sisters. You can check here for more details about the program , and also the NCWC 118th Annual Meeting Blog. As part of the program at the Annual Meeting, we signed a Joint Declaration, with the Native Women's Association of Canada, and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. The Declaration is a living document, and we invite others to sign on. For more details, click here.

We continually develop new policy on various issues and update old policy. Each year we send our Annual Brief to the Government, meet with MPs and Senators at various times throughout the year, and often appear as Witnesses before Standing Committees.

The National Council of Women of Canada has two seperate organizations with charitable status, the National Council of Women of Canda Development Organization (NCWCDO) and the National Council of Women of Canada Education Fund (NCWCEF). NCWCEF is a major source of the ongoing research and education work of Council. Much of their current work is described in the Major Project section. NCWC benfits from your financial donation to NCWCEF. NCWCDO raises funds to support organziations doing international development work, led by women.

We can now accept on line donations to these funds, and you will receive a charitable receipt. NCWCEF supports the operation of NCWC, so we especially appreciate your financial support at this time.

The following are some of the correspondence sent by the President on behalf of NCWC, based on NCWC policy:

. Correspondence to Minister of Culture, Heritage and and Official Languages supporting the CBC;
.Correspondence supporting the 7000 Generations Walk against Nuclear Waste;
. Correspondence to the Prime Minister regarding the Convention on Cluster Munitions;
. Correspondence to the Prime Minister regarding the announcement of the disbanding of the sodium reduction working group;
. Correspondence to the Prime Minister regarding statements made by Hon. Diane Finley and Child Care;
. Correspondence to the Prime Minister regarding the Senate Report, In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness;
. A letter and media release has been issued regarding Canada's dialogue with Aboriginal Women in Canada. NCWC urges the Government of Canada to engage in open and meaningful dialogue with the Native Women's Association of Canada and continue to fund their Sisters in Spirit initiative for research, policy and advocacy.
. Recent letters to Government include ones on Bill C 25, Truth in Sentencing Act, and also correspondence regarding the shipment of radioactive steam generators across the Great Lakes

Please check Communication and Reports for much more.

NCWC is a national affiliate member of the International Council of Women, (ICW) which has Consultative Status (Category I) at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The new ICW President is Cosima Schenk and Past President is Dr. Anamah Tan. We are pleased to announce that Thelma McGillivray is the ICW Advisor on Ageing.

NCWC has Consultative Status (Category II) at the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Each year we send a delegation to the meetings of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March. Our 2011 delegation also included students from McGill University. You can read our 2011 Blog here. The theme of the 2011 two-week UNCSW session was access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s equal access to full employment and decent work. For the past two years, NCWC has been working on a joint project with the National Council of Women of Canada Education Fund called the Water/Energy Connections Project, kindly funded by the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation. Much work has been done over the last two years including a survey on water/energy use.There are six NCWC Education Fund newsletters, The Conserver , and the Brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development re the Oil Sands and Water Resources. was given August 2009. We are pleased to announce the new Common Program for NCWC, in conjuction with NCWCEF, - Women and Mental Health. The Common Program will be launched at the NCWC AGM in Winnipeg.

For more a much more indepth look at NCWC and the impact we have made over the past 118 years, this list below might be of interest.
. Proud Heritage. Rosa Shaw. Ryerson Press (with forward by Governor General, Vincent Massey 1957)
. Splendid Vision - Centennial History of the National Council of Women of Canada. Naomi Griffiths. Carlton Press. 1993.
. A Flame of Compassion - a History of the Provincial Council of Women of Ontario. Vivien R. Kerr (with forward by the Honourable John Robarts, Premier of Ontario). PCWO. W.H. Best Printing. 1967
. Nothing New Under The Sun - a History of the Toronto Local Council of Women. Mrs. Maxwell D. Lugan. Reg Wilson Co. 1978.
. Blue Bows and the Golden Rule - a History of the Provincial Council of Women of British Colombia. Marjorie Long Hastings & Lorraine Ellenswood. D.W. Frisssen & Sons Ltd. 1984.
. A Leaven of Ladies - a History of the Calgary Local Council of Women. Marjorie Norris. Detselig Enterprises. 1995.
. The Magnificent Services of Women, the Halifax Local Council of Women1894-2002. Janet Guilford. 2000.
. Diamond Glimpses, The Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba. 2010
. 115 years - Something to Celebrate!. Council of Women of Winnipeg. 2009.

To read our NCWC Newsletters and learn about what Councils across the country are currently doing, please click here.

Check out the International Council of Women facebook page - see what other Councils are doing around the world - and contribute news from Canada.