Womanact

Thank you to everyone who joined WomanACT’s Annual General Meeting on September 24! 💜

This year’s AGM was an opportunity to come together, reflect on the past year, and look ahead to the work still to come. We celebrated a year of meaningful progress, collaboration, and systems change across our work to address gender-based violence — while recognizing that there is still so much more to do.

We reflected on the importance of community, survivor engagement, and membership in making lasting change possible. Our work is grounded in the knowledge, experiences, and leadership of survivors, our members, community partners, and allies. Without this community and the relationships we build together, our work would not have the same meaning or impact.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated in the conversations, shared their perspectives, and continues to contribute to the WomanACT community. Your support, expertise, and commitment help us continue pushing for safer, more equitable communities.

We want to extend a special thanks to Lynda Kosowan Executive Director of Scarborough Women's Centre - SWC and our community-based researchers Chanice, and Vitangalee for speaking at the AGM and sharing their experiences, perspectives, and the importance of creating space for lived experience and community knowledge to shape the work we do.

As we look toward another year, we’re proud of what we have accomplished together and energized by the work ahead. There is more work to be done, and we’re looking forward to another impactful year at WomanACT — together.

WomanACT was honoured to attend the Women's Habitat of Etobicoke Boundless Gala: Shades of Mexico💜

It was a meaningful evening of celebration and connection, bringing together violence against women workers, community members, and sector supporters to celebrate the work being done to build safer communities.

Thank you to Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke for bringing the community together and creating space to recognize the people and organizations working toward change. We would also like to thank Women's Habitat for being a long-standing member of WomanACT.

Celebrating the work and legacy of Scarborough Women's Centre - SWC 💜

At their AGM, WomanACT was grateful to hear about the Centre’s longstanding work supporting women and survivors in Scarborough and beyond. Thank you to SWC for their continued support of our work through their WomanACT membership.

As Executive Director Lynda Kosowan prepares to retire in 2026, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lynda for her decades of leadership and commitment to the violence against women sector, and to the entire SWC team for the important work they continue to do.

Thank you, Lynda, for your years of dedication and for the lasting impact of your work. We wish you all the best in this next chapter.

Join us at the WomanACT AGM on September 24 for a special conversation between WomanACT Executive Director, Harmy Mendoza and Lynda Kosowan, the Executive Director of Scarborough Women's Centre - SWC , on the value of membership, building connections across the sector, and the power of collective action.

A longtime WomanACT member and supporter, Lynda has spent 40 years working in the violence-against-women sector, including through her leadership at Scarborough Women’s Centre. As she retires in 2026, we’re honoured to celebrate her contributions and the lasting impact of her leadership across Toronto’s gender-based violence sector.

Come hear Lynda and Harmy reflect on the importance of community, collaboration, and working together to create change.

📅 September 24, 2026
📍 Oakham Lounge, TMU Student Campus Centre
🕕 5:45–9:00 PM

Registration is open — we hope to see you there! Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1997059021292?aff=oddtdtcreator

Meet the experts leading the conversation on technology-facilitated economic abuse.

We're proud to introduce our first set of panelists joining us for EASE in Action: Advancing Solutions to Technology-Facilitated Economic Abuse Symposium on November 26th.

Bringing together expertise from research, frontline services, technology, finance, policy, and survivor advocacy, our panelists will share their expertise and explore collaborative solutions to address technology-facilitated economic abuse.

Together, we’ll move from understanding the problem to advancing solutions.
Stay tuned as we introduce the incredible experts who will be joining us at the EASE symposium for this important conversation.

Featured Panelists:
🔹Sarah Saska — Co-Founder & CEO, Feminuity
🔹Gursharon Singh — Operations Lead, Financial Recovery for Reclaim, Victim Services Toronto Victim Services
🔹Thomas Ristenpart — Clinic to End Tech Abuse
🔹Sudha Dwivedi — Chief People & Culture Officer, Interac Corp. Interac

Registration is now open! Secure your spot today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1997059751476?aff=oddtdtcreator

📅 November 26, 2026
🕜 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre

A heartfelt thank you to the Canadian Women's Foundation for the opportunity to take part in this year's granting circle process. Canadian Women's Foundation

Spending time inside their process was a reminder of what funding can look like when it is built on feminist and trauma-informed principles: grants shaped by diverse community reviewers, decisions grounded in trust in the organizations closest to the work, and relationships that continue well after the cheque is signed, through ongoing support and communities of practice where grantee partners learn from one another.

This is how you support organizations. Not with more hoops, but with respect for lived experience, patience for the long work of change, and a real belief in grassroots feminist action.

Thank you to the CWF team and to the incredible women and gender-diverse leaders in the room. WomanACT is grateful to be part of this community.

🩸$60 million for menstrual equity

The Government of Canada has announced a $60 million investment to advance menstrual equity and improve access to essential menstrual products.

Building on the Menstrual Equity Fund pilot, the investment aims to reduce financial barriers, expand access to menstrual products, and support education and awareness to reduce stigma.

Menstrual products are essential. Access to basic necessities can become a point of control in abusive relationships, particularly where financial abuse and economic dependence are present. Removing barriers to menstrual products supports dignity, autonomy, and safety.

Learn more about the Menstrual Equity Fund:
https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/funding/menstrual-equity-fund.html

It's the final day to register for the WomanACT Annual General Meeting 2026!

Join us as we reflect on the past year, connect with members and community partners, and look ahead to what's next for our work to end gender-based violence.

📅 September 24
🕔 5:45–9:00 PM
📍 Oakham Lounge, 55 Gould St., Toronto

Register before it's too late: https://tinyurl.com/42yhj2ff

We were so glad to join The Redwood for their Annual General Meeting and celebrate the incredible work they do every day to support survivors of gender-based violence. 💜

From emergency shelter and 24/7 crisis support to counselling, housing, employment, and programs for children and youth, The Redwood creates spaces where survivors can find safety, support, and pathways forward.

We’re grateful for opportunities to come together with our sector partners, celebrate collective progress, and recognize the incredible people who make this work possible. ✨

Thank you to the organizations, advocates, and community members working together to build a safer, more equitable future for survivors! The Redwood

WomanACT extends our sincere thanks to the City of Toronto for its support throughout our time as a member of the Housing Rights Advisory Committee (HRAC), whose inaugural term came to a close last month.

HRAC was established by Toronto City Council in March 2023 as a new Council Advisory Body, created to ensure that the interests and needs of those with living or lived experience of housing precarity, discrimination and homelessness are reflected in City policies, programs and service delivery. WomanACT was proud to serve on this first cohort of members and to help shape the Committee's work from the ground up.

Read WomanACT's full statement at https://womanact.ca/womanact-statement-on-participation-in-city-of-toronto-housing-rights-advisory-committee/