London Abused Women’s Centre (LAWC) hosted the 26th annual breakfast to celebrate International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day is a global day that recognizes women’s great achievements on March 8 every year while also calling for accelerated action toward gender equality.
“It’s a chance for us to think about how every person in this room has a woman in their life or is a woman who is contributing to how this world is turning,” said Gail McVicar, the London Abused Women’s Centre community engagement manager.
LAWC game Badge (Credit: Emily Kim/XFM News)
The annual breakfast event offered games, prizes, live and silent auctions with a few surprises and was attended by several guests, including the bestselling author of ‘Looking for Jane’, Heather Marshall.
The event theme of this year is women’s words.
McVicar said LAWC want to encourage is for women and girls to raise their voices, for their opinions to be heard, for their advocacy to be heard, and for some people women’s words means writing.
London Abused Women’s Centre community engagement manager Gail McVicar (Credit: Emily Kim/XFM News)
The Executive Director at the London Abused Women’s Centre Jennifer Dunn said everyone should to know that intimate partner violence is a huge issue in community.
“We provide service to women and girls over the age of 12 who have been subjected to this kind of violence and we do that by providing immediate access to long-term counselling, advocacy and support. And so, the whole idea is that women need immediate access so that when they’re ready, when they’re wanting to share their story, somebody is available to listen to them.”
Dunn also said it is very important for women to know that they are not alone when they are abused.
“There is help available in our community when you’re ready, but also that you do not have to be, you are not less than anything. You are powerful and you can do whatever you want to do and that’s the message we would send to women and girls ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday.”
McVicar also said the biggest driving force behind this event for 26 years is the biggest fundraiser of the year.
“All of our services are not only confidential, but they are free to every woman or girl that walks through our doors.”
For example, every woman and girl gets bus tickets for free to attend their counselling sessions at the London Abuse Women’s Centre.
London Abused Women’s Centre executive director Jennifer Dunn (Credit: Emily Kim/XFM News)
“Having a fundraiser like this allows us to make sure that happens.”
All funds raised would go to frontline services for the London Abused Women’s Centre to help women and girls.
“We’ve been doing this for 26 years and the pandemic put a little bit of a wrench in our growth, but I think to have 760 seated guests and around 800 people in this room is such an accomplishment,” Dunn added. “I think continuing to spread awareness and celebrate our successes and speak about the issues with a call to action is so important and so that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”
The event was held at RBC Place from 7 am to 9 am on March 6 and was attended by 760 people.
