While International Women’s Day is over, Peterborough isn’t done celebrating all the extraordinary contributions of women in the community.
Women United Peterborough has opened nominations for the inaugural Women of Impact Awards, which will recognize women and individuals who identify as women in the city and county of Peterborough who have gone above and beyond to demonstrate remarkable contributions in the community.
Twenty local women of diverse backgrounds and professions, to be selected by Women United Peterborough’s volunteer steering committee, will be honoured at an event on Thursday, May 30th at Keene’s Farmhill Weddings. Nominations for the award are open until Sunday, April 14th.
“Here in Peterborough City and County, our goal is to elevate the Women United movement and shine a spotlight on the incredible local women who are driving positive change,” says Maryam Monsef, founding chair of Women United Peterborough, in a media release. “Through our collective efforts, we aim to raise funds to support vital programs and initiatives that empower and uplift women and those who identify as women in our community.”
Launched in 2002, Women United is an international initiative of United Ways across the globe and, regionally, representing a collective of women, inclusive of those who identify as women and allies. Across North America, Women United has 70,000 women involved in 165 communities. In Peterborough, the initiative empowers women, girls, those who identify as women, and their families through mentorship, advocation, and amplification of marginalized voices.
“It’s about elevating the role of women in the community by thinking about challenges and gaps, and what we can do as women to support women and fund more initiatives and programs,” says Anne Ondercin, director of philanthropy at United Way Peterborough & District. “Through the pandemic especially, women became more disadvantaged, and it just hasn’t bounced back the same way, so we have to continually make sure that we don’t lose the progress that we make.”
While the role of Women United is to move towards empowering more women, it’s also about recognizing the successes and changemakers happening now, with the hope of inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
“We want to encourage people to start thinking about recognizing the role that women play in the community and what we would be missing without it,” says Ondercin. “When women are supported socially and we remove those economic and social barriers, we’re providing a situation in an environment when girls and women and those who identify as women can lead to their full potential into the future.”
With the aim of always being inclusive, those nominated for the Women of Impact Awards can be living or deceased, be of any age and background, and can offer any story. Whether it’s women who have helped their neighbours, dedicated time to a cause or organization, advocated for marginalized groups, or offered their knowledge and resources to social advancement, there is a place for everyone in the awards.
“We really want to recognize the impact that women have every day, and particularly women who are the unsung heroes — women who are working tirelessly in the background and don’t necessarily get picked up for the prestigious awards,” Ondercin says. “Those are the stories we love because we want to show how together we can have an impact. Even if it seems to be smaller, the power of that collective impact on the community is really important.”
While details are still being finalized, the event at the woman-led Farmhill Weddings from 6 to 9 p.m. on May 30 will include opportunities to hear from speakers, connect with honourees, and celebrate women and those who identify as women in the community. Tickets will be on sale after the 20 award recipients are announced following the closing of nominations.
“We want to create that special feeling for women to come out and really feel like their heart is more fill than it was when they arrived,” says Ondercin. “Our goal is to really fill up women’s cups with recognition and gratefulness that we feel.”
Aligning with the nomination submissions period, Women United is hosting the inaugural session of their speakers series, held online from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 25th.
Moderated by Monsef, the debut session will include local pioneers Lynn Zimmer, the founder of Interval House and former long-time executive director of YWCA Peterborough Haliburton, and Dr. Dawn Lavell-Harvard, the director of the First Peoples House of Learning at Trent University, who will speak on the struggle for a national inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women.
To register for the free webinar, visit www.uwpeterborough.ca/women-united-speaker-series/.
Moving forward, Women United will be seeking feedback from guests and viewers on the types of conversations they want to explore through the speaker series, with the aim of presenting three to five webinars over the course of the year.
“We are getting women connected and thinking about these conversations around women and having them in smaller digestible bits,” says Ondercin. “It’s an uplifting conversation, but we’re also learning about where we’ve been and that’s why this is a great first series.”
With the series highlighting conversations around progress and the past when it comes to women’s initiatives, the Women of Impact Awards is the focus of the impacts happening now from those in the community, while Women United continues to connect and open conversations surrounding future initiatives.
“It’s a really wonderful parallel to the work that United Way does in the community, because together we are stronger,” says Ondercin. “That’s what we’re aiming for with these Women of Impact Awards.”
Those looking to contribute to the Women United are encouraged to make a donation to United Way Peterborough at the leadership level by March 31 for it to be matched.
Visit www.uwpeterborough.ca/women-of-impact/ to nominate an individual. Women United are still seeking sponsors for the event. Email Anne Ondercin at aondercin@uwpeterborough.ca for more information.
