Women's Advisory Committee
Overview
The Women's Advisory Committee was established on February 17, 2009.
Mandate
The Women's Advisory Committee is advisory to City Council. The mandate of the Committee is to implement the Gender Equality Strategy and, through doing so, enhance access to full participation in City services for women and girls.
Under Section 160 of the Vancouver Charter, all committees of Council shall stand discharged immediately before the first Monday after December 1 in the year of a general local election.
Terms of Reference
The Committee:
- Provides advice and develops actions for the implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy (June 2005);
- Brings to the City Council matters identified by it as requiring action by the City;
- Deals with any matters which may be referred to the Committee by Council;
- Produces an annual work plan with specific objectives by no later than March of each year, in consultation with its Council and staff liaisons, for distribution to Council and civic departments for information;
- Provides an annual report to Council on the status of implementation of the Gender Equality Strategy.
Membership
The Women's Advisory Committee is composed of voting members appointed for three-year terms. Nomination by a community group working on issues related to the civic agency's mandate will be considered an asset. All applicants must be able to demonstrate relevant experience related to the mandate of this committee. Two Chairs, or one Chair and a Vice-Chair, will be elected by the Committee on an annual basis.
- A maximum of 12 members are appointed by Vancouver City Council
- In addition, one City Councillor and one staff liaison person is appointed, as well as a liaison from the Park Board and the School Board; all as non-voting members.
The Committee may appoint a reasonable number of sub-committees to assist with its projects. Membership may include persons willing to serve who are not members of the Committee.
Current Committee members
Terms expire December 7, 2014:
- Kamal Basra
- Krissy Darch
- Genesa Greening
- Jake Hassel-Gren
- Jarrah Hodge
- Ingrid Kolsteren
- Fiona McFarlane
- Margarita Pinillos
- Marion Smith
- Bif Walker
- Wendy Williams
- Julie Wong
Council Liaison: Councillor Andrea Reimer
Park Board Liaison: Commissioner Niki Sharma
School Board Liaison: Trustee Sophia Woo
Staff Liaison: Jennifer Dawkins, Fire and Rescue Services
Meeting Coordinator: Teresita Burke, teresita.burke@vancouver.ca or 604.871.6399
Reappointment
Members may be re-appointed.
Meeting Frequency
The Committee is required to officially meet at least four times per year on a quarterly basis to a maximum of eleven times per year, excluding August.
Time Commitment
Committee meetings last approximately two to three hours. A minimum of one to two additional hours a month is spent on e-mail and other correspondence, meetings, research and networking. Preparation time for all meetings is required.
Subcommittees
The Women's Advisory Committee has the following subcommittees. Optional membership on a sub-committee requires about 1 to 2 hours time commitment every month.
- Increased Leadership, Representation and Participation of Women and Girls
- Economic Equality and Opportunity for Women and Girls
- Create a Safe City for Women and Girls
- Ensure that Gender is Mainstreamed
Attendance Requirement
Members may miss no more than four consecutive meetings without obtaining Leave of Absence from the Committee. Membership will be terminated following the fourth such absence.
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2012 Minutes and Agendas
| 2012 Meeting Dates | Agenda | Minutes | Additional Reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 3 | Agenda  |
Minutes |
|
| May 8 | Agenda |
Minutes |
|
| June 12 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| No Meeting in July | Agenda | Minutes | |
| No Meeting in August | Agenda | Minutes | |
| September 11 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| October 18 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| November 13 | Agenda | Minutes | |
| December 11 | Agenda | Minutes |
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Research
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womensadvisorycommittee@vancouver.ca
Urban Women's Listserve
The urban women's listserve is an international forum with the objective of facilitating an exchange of information and sharing of experiences, resources, and strategies to advance women's rights and gender equality in local governance and local governments. The listserve is open to all women's groups, activists, women urban professionals, institutions, equality-seeking organizations, women in local government - elected officials, administrators, staff, partners, etc. Women, men, gender and sexual minorities who support the goal of women's rights and gender equality and diversity are welcome. We encourage you to post listings pertinent to this subject and to engage with participating members. Please be respectful of the diversity of opinions and experiences of all participants. A short description of your interests and focus of work will help us to keep the list clean of SPAM. The listserve is moderated by Toronto Women's City Alliance (TWCA) .
To subscribe write to: urban_women-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/urban_women/
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Resources
- Women Transforming Cities (6.5 mb pdf)
- A Primer on Gender Budgeting (1.6 mb pdf)
- Women in India: The long road from purdah to power
- Bridge - resource with fact sheets on gender
- Inclusive Cities Project
- Candlelight Vigil - December 10, 2010 (273 kb pdf)
Other cities:
- Toronto Regional Champion Campaign
- Women and Food: A Vancouver Historical Perspective (October 26, 2010) (3.5 mb pdf)
- Women's World 2011
- The Women’s Equality Report Card Project - Toronto Women’s City Alliance (7 mb pdf)
- City for All Women Initiative
- Women Transforming Cities (160 kb pdf)
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