Our club has been active since it was founded in 1945. Our membership has blossomed to over 100 women this year. Our biggest annual initiative is the spring Great Big Book Sale. This exciting month long project raises money for scholarships & bursaries for women, and funds for our community outreach initiatives and educational programs.
Thanks to a record breaking book sale in March, we will be providing $23,400 in grants to not-for-profit organizations and $53,000 in scholarships and bursaries for women in Newfoundland & Labrador. We will also distribute $4,000 for scholarship to women in Northern Nigeria through our partnership with We Care Foundation NL.
In addition, our MUN endowment fund continues to provide two annual entrance bursaries worth approximately $2,000 each. Our club supports the education of girls and women in other countries wherever possible. Many of our members contribute to the national CFUW Charitable Trust which funds women across Canada in a number of post-graduate initiatives. In addition, we participate in advocacy efforts to promote the equality of girls and women.
Our monthly club meetings include guest speakers who provide information on topics of current interest and a chance to connect with likeminded women.
We have a number of interest groups, including a walking group, bridge clubs, dinner and lunch groups, tap dancing, and several lively book clubs. There’s something for everyone.
Find out more about:
- the history of our club.
- our Club’s activities – available in our annual report
- our Club’s Constitution.
Local educators attend the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW68) in New York City March 11-22, 2024
As members of CFUW St. John’s (Canadian Federation of University Women), and the National CFUW Education and International Relations Committees, educators, Dr. Linda Coles and past national president Ms. Grace Hollett will join policymakers, government officials, and activists from around the world for the annual United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW68), in New York City, March 11-22. The UNCSW is the main intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls around the world.
Since the Commission for the Status of Women (CSW) was established in 1946, civil society organizations like CFUW have taken a leading role in strengthening political commitments to gender equality and advancing the dialogue on the empowerment of women and girls around the world. CFUW’s Consultative Status with the UN through the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) permits it to send a 20-member delegation to join other accredited civil society organizations, UN Member States and UN agencies. Coles and Hollett are members of CFUW’s delegation, for the UNCSW68, all of whom are self-funded. This year’s 11-day conference will culminate with “Agreed Conclusions” and a set of commitments for achieving gender equality, for government implementation, at the international, national, regional, and local levels.
The priority theme for the 2024 UNCSW68 is “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.” The session will also review the agreed conclusions of the sixty-third session, “Social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.”
Coles and Hollett have been involved in many aspects of education throughout their careers. As CFUW delegates for UNCSW68, they will have an opportunity to learn from representatives of other countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) about what they are doing, in their areas, “to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.” They are involved in organizing two public sessions, one Canadian and another a collaboration with Canadian, US, and Mexican panelists. They look forward to sharing their UNCSW68 experiences with community leaders and members of CFUW St. John’s.
To learn more about gender equality in Canada and joining CFUW, visit https://cfuw.org/.