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Inspiring Women Among Us

Inspiring Women Among Us Offers a Week of Free Events

Nov 9, 2020 | 12:12 PM

Feeling the November blahs? Wishing you could re-energize yourself AND contribute to society?  Looking to connect with folks interested in leadership, and gender?

Come and join Inspiring Women Among Us (IWAU), a made-in-Prince-George organization, for an exciting week of FREE events during Nov. 18^th-25th.  ALL GENDERS are welcome. With an emphasis on power and leadership this year, IWAU aspires to encourage mentoring, training, resource sharing, skill development, and self-care, particularly for members of under-represented groups.  Our 2020 theme Sharing Power Now! Diversifying Leadership couldn’t be more timely given that US Vice President Elect Kamala Harris is now poised to share power with Joe Biden as the first Asian-American, Black, and female US vice president in history.

With a City Proclamation and flag raisings at both UNBC and the City of Prince George, IWAU kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 18^th.  We begin with a lively Canada Reads-style panel about inspirational books on leadership, featuring local personalities Catherine Hansen, Faith Fundal, Joyce Henley, and Mackenzie Kerr.  Do you have a book that moves you to lead/mentor/contribute? Have it ready and join in the fun!

Also on Wednesday and on Thursday, Nov. 19^th, we move into workshops and body movement opportunities (2 free yoga classes!), podcast launch discussions, and a Northern Women’s Centre hosted pro-choice rally across from UHNBC (bring signs & masks; dress warmly).

Friday November 20^th is the International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Two events are organized by Gender Outlines (a ceremony and conversation about transgender safety, and a discussion of NFB film My Prairie Home about musician Rae Spoon), and one is a post-podcast discussion featuring Jenny McCormick and Yahlnaaw, both residents of northern BC (Nov. 13 podcast release; please listen beforehand).

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Friday also includes  a talk on racism in Canada by poet Junie Désil, in the UNBC Global Friday noontime slot, and an opportunity to hear National Geographic Senior Cartographer Rosemary Daley share tales of feminist and queer mapping in her male-dominated profession, from 3:30-5pm in partnership with the Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Institute (NRESi) at UNBC.  Many weekday events occur near lunchtime or in afternoon to encourage community members to squeeze IWAU into their busy schedules.

Saturday Nov. 21st brings Junie Désil’s creative writing workshop and a Q&A with local ceramicist Leanna Carslon. Monday, Nov. 23^rd includes an opportunity to learn about connections between feminism and collage with Sara Knelman, new Exectutive Director of Two Rivers Gallery.  Monday also brings internationally renowned Winnipeg-based artist Shawna Dempsey, and successful Indigenous artist and planner Elaine Alec to us, with interactive opportunities on mentorship and leadership.

On Tuesday, Nov. 24^th, we’ll get into body empowerment fun, feminist story time at the Prince George Public Library (via their Facebook page), and more leadership and mentoring learning/sharing opportunities.  Zandra Ross, a northern BC-based lifestyle and fitness guru, will help us to find power in our bodies, and to deal with imposter syndrome. On Tuesday, you can also join a conversation on Claiming Spaces, a recent partnership between IWAU and City of Prince George, with funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (please view videos under Claiming Spaces at iwau.ca beforehand).

The last day of IWAU 2020, Wednesday Nov. 25^th, offers an early ceremony for The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women (Dec. 6^th). In 2019, the ceremony was held at the College of New Caledonia and this year the Northern Women’s Centre will broadcast it from UNBC. This is a longstanding community event to remember the 14 lives lost on Dec. 6^th, 1989, and to contemplate how we can end violence against women.  Men are encouraged to attend to show awareness and solidarity.

Throughout the first ever online/remote hosting of IWAU, please join us to celebrate, contemplate, and connect for whatever amount of time you can, whether it’s for 30 minutes or 6 events.  And remember—you can share this with friends, family, and colleagues near and far since access only takes a weblink (no registration fees! participants will be asked for a name, and may have to download a free app if using a phone or tablet).

Lastly, to connect IWAU with local businesses, and to offer participants warm comfort in a difficult time, IWAU will offer a coffee/tea on us at select locations before some events. Please see website for details ( www.iwau.ca ).  We hope you can join us online to brighten up November with lively discussions, workshops, and activities about Sharing Power Now!