At Cathexis, we feel a particular connection to this day as a women-owned and operated evaluation firm. The questions at the heart of IWD about equity and representation are also the questions we bring to our evaluation work every day.
Many of our clients are working to advance equity for women and people who experience injustice and inequality because of their gender. Here’s one organization we think you should know about: the Canadian Women’s Foundation has been working to advance gender justice and equality in Canada for decades through a number of initiatives. Here are some of their resources and initiatives worth knowing about:
- The Signal for Help and Signal Responder Resources: The Foundation mobilized the Signal For Help, a simple one-handed gesture, during the COVID-19 pandemic when intimate partner violence soared to a new high. The sign has spread to over 50 countries and the Foundation has won numerous awards for this work. The Foundation offers many free resources to help people recognize and respond to signs of abuse with confidence, including a multi-part online course. At Cathexis, our workplace policy on addressing domestic violence now highlights this course as a recommended resource to help all of our staff recognize gender-based violence.
- Anti-Racist Intersectional Research Guidelines: These were collaboratively developed for use by the Foundation and its partners, and is generously made available to any organization looking to incorporate values of equity, diversity, and inclusion in their research and evaluation practices.
To the women in our networks and on our team doing important work in communities across Canada: thank you. We see you, we’re grateful for you, and we’re proud to be in this work alongside you.
Happy International Women’s Day from all of us at Cathexis!