Feminists Deliver, a coalition of grassroots B.C. organizations and self-identified women and girls, is receiving funding to support work on gender equality and collaboration among local women’s groups.

“Our government is committed to working with self-identified women, girls and the organizations that support them to advance gender equality,” said Mitzi Dean, Parliamentary Secretary for Gender Equity. “The Feminists Deliver conference will provide a space to discuss the issues that marginalized communities are facing, and we are proud to support this project. This is an opportunity to recognize the critical work being done to make life better for women and girls in B.C., and I look forward to continuing this work with local and provincial leaders at Feminists Deliver.”

The one-time funding of $200,000 from the Province will provide support to Feminists Deliver to facilitate a conference scheduled for June 3 to 6, 2019, in downtown Vancouver, concurrent with the international conference Women Deliver.

“Feminists Deliver is an opportunity to advance women's and feminist organizations in B.C.,” said Melanie Mark, MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant. “For too long, voices of grassroots women, girls, trans, two-spirit and non-binary people have been muted and sidelined. The urgent needs of these communities can only be addressed if we disrupt and challenge the status quo together.”

Attendance at the Feminists Deliver conference will be free of charge. Discussion topics will include child welfare, body positivity, sexual violence and movements to create social change.

“We are in the midst of a mass feminist renaissance poised to further move the dial on gender inequality,” said Angela Marie Macdougall, executive director of Battered Women's Support Services and co-chair of Feminists Deliver. “Feminists Deliver is part of how we can sustain and broaden community-based solutions to the serious social and environmental problems in British Columbia.”

“Atira is thrilled to be working alongside a diverse group of women, as well as other women's organizations, to deliver a powerful, complementary and local conference for women from across the province,” said Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Women's Resource Society.

The membership of Feminists Deliver is diverse and inclusive of all people who experience marginalization on the basis of gender. Feminists Deliver began in 2018 and now includes about 30 organizations representing a wide range of communities and advocacy efforts. A full list of members is available online: www.feministsdeliver.com

Quick Facts:

• The Government of B.C. appointed Mitzi Dean as its first parliamentary secretary for gender equity in February 2018.
• The Gender Equity Office works across government to eliminate systemic barriers, advance economic and political empowerment, and end gender-based violence.

Learn More:

Gender Equity Office of British Columbia: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/gender-equity

Feminists Deliver: https://feministsdeliver.com/