Everyone has different reasons for loving fall. For some, it is the changing leaves, or the brisk mornings, or the chance to pull on a cozy sweater. Others enjoy the structure and routine promised by school starting up again. Here at YWCA Toronto, this is the season for nominations for our Women of Distinction Awards, which always makes for an exciting time.
First and foremost, the Women of Distinction Awards gives us the chance to honour the women in our community who are improving women’s lives in a range of fields, including business, education, social justice, advocacy, arts, health, philanthropy, and more. It is a way for us to showcase extraordinary work that is often unseen or under-appreciated.
The Women of Distinction Awards also gives us the opportunity to publicize what we do: providing programs that help women, girls and gender diverse people escape violence, heal, gain employment, move out of poverty, and access safe, affordable housing. Programs that would not be possible without the Women of Distinction Awards, which is not just a celebration of feminist changemakers but also our largest annual fundraising event. Our gala this past June raised over $627,000 that will help transform lives in Toronto.
It all begins with a nomination. Do you know a woman or young woman who is challenging the status quo and making a difference in other women’s lives? Now is your chance to help her get the recognition she deserves! To get the process started, visit our nomination page and tell us about her. We want to celebrate her with you.
Your nomination will help support gender equity in our city in a number of ways. It will help us tell the stories of people who are doing incredible work in our community. It will contribute to an event that helps women, girls and gender diverse individuals build towards better futures. And, of course, it will give you the chance to honour someone important in your life. A few of our recipients have tried to describe to us what that recognition feels like and how important it was to them.
“Receiving YWCA Toronto’s Women of Distinction Award means a great deal to me because of what it can do for the women in my community,” Asma Faizi, a 2022 Woman of Distinction, told us earlier this year. “In addition to providing visibility of the great work that AWO [the Afghan Women’s Organization] has done for the past 30 years, this award will show the positive impact Afghan women make in society.”
Another 2022 recipient, Margaret Newall, also spoke movingly of her experience, “I feel very honoured to receive YWCA Toronto’s Women of Distinction Award. It makes me feel humbled to be compared to others who have done so much.”
None of our work is possible without people like you. To see the kinds of life-changing programs you would be supporting through your nomination, please check out this short video. The Women of Distinction Awards has been an important part of YWCA Toronto’s fundraising efforts for more than forty years. Please consider joining a tradition dear to our hearts. Nominations are open until November 1st.
Nominate the next YWCA Toronto Woman of Distinction.