North York Women's Centre (NYWC)

As our organization continues to grow and move through a period of change, NYWC’s Board of Directors want to take a moment to thank our community for your ongoing support, care, and engagement.

Your voices, experiences, and feedback matter deeply to us, and we remain committed to listening, learning, and moving forward with intention. We appreciate everyone who continues to show up, share with us, and support the work that we do.

Thank you for being part of our community🌸

Today (May 5), Red Dress Day marks the National Day of Awareness and Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2 Spirit, Trans, and Gender-Diverse people.

What began as The REDress Project by Métis artist Jaime Black-Morsette has grown into a powerful visual and collective call to remember, to grieve, and to act.

MMIWG2S+ is not history. It is an ongoing human rights crisis shaped by gender-based and racialized violence. Indigenous women and girls continue to face disproportionately high rates of violence, and the calls for justice remain unmet.

Today is not just about awareness. It is about accountability.

Wear red.
Listen deeply to families and survivors.
Learn the truths that are often left out.
Support Indigenous-led work.
Demand action.

New year, new space, new intentions ✨

Our Monday evening Lounge has officially moved locations and we’re kicking off our first session of 2026 with an Intention-Setting Workshop. This is a space to reflect, reset, and step into the year with purpose.

📍On Monday evenings (6-8PM), we will be at Toronto Public Library - Downsview (2793 Keele St)

Come start 2026 with us.✨

Interim Executive Director Marcy was interviewed by Global News to talk about recently released statistics by Toronto Police Services on IPV. There hasn’t been a significant drop, and as Marcy said, “Intimate partner violence and gender-based violence happens across this city” and particular pressures like the lack of affordable housing, the unaffordability crisis, and lack of employment opportunities make people more vulnerable and less likely to be able to access the support they need. That’s why community programs and spaces for connection, matter more than ever.

Join us.

Day 4 of our 16 days of action: Call your City Councillor and demand services in our communities for women and gender-diverse people: dedicated housing supports, targeted employment opportunities, wraparound services and funding so that women feel empowered to come forward.

October is a month of awareness and action✨

To recognize this, we are hosting a Lounge session in recognition of the annual ‘Take Back the Night’ campaign on October 22. Take Back the Night is dedicated to ending gender-based and s*xual violence. It began as a call for safer streets and has grown into a campaign centering empowerment, solidarity, and safer communities for all.

We are so excited to offer a creative, hands-on printing workshop to reflect on safety, empowerment, and community care. Participants will have the chance to add their mark to a NYWC banner that will be showcased at our AGM and in future engagement activities, marches, and advocacy work. This session will be led by Pardis Pahlavanlu

There are limited spots available, so don’t miss your chance to join us. Sign up now using the link in our bio or give us a call/send us an email.🌱

if you can’t make it, there’s always something happening at the lounge. If you’re curious, keep an eye out on our socials and newsletter, or reach out to our team by phone or email.

We cannot wait to connect🌷

On this day, we pause to acknowledge the pain of residential schools and stand with those impacted.

At North York Women’s Centre, we stand in solidarity with Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit people, recognizing that gender-based violence is deeply connected to colonialism and that these communities face disproportionate harm.

We invite everyone to take action:
🔸Learn about the history and impacts of residential schools and the ongoing MMIWG2S+ crisis
🔸Listen to and amplify Indigenous voices and stories
🔸Support Indigenous-led organizations and initiatives
🔸Reflect on how you can challenge colonial and gender-based violence in your own life and community

This work does not end today and meaningful action goes beyond what we have shared here. Ongoing learning, reflection, and care are needed to nurture safer and stronger communities.

Sending care🧡

Today is the last day of Consent Awareness Week, but the conversations and practice of consent is something that we should carry with us every day.

Consent is rooted in care, respect, and open communication. This week highlighted the many ways we can practice consent including asking for it, respecting “no,” understanding boundaries and power dynamics, and recognizing that true consent is always free, informed, and reversible.

Building consent culture is about awareness, open dialogue and shared responsibility. Let’s continue to build spaces where listening, asking, and honoring boundaries shape the way we connect with each other🌱

Today is the last day of Consent Awareness Week, but the conversations and practice of consent is something that we should carry with us every day.

Consent is rooted in care, respect and open communication. This week highlighted the many ways we can practice consent, respecting “no”, understanding power dynamics and boundaries, and recognizing that true consent is voluntary, enthusiastic, informed and reversible.

Let’s continue to build spaces where listening, asking, and honouring boundaries shape the way we connect with each other.🌱

The Redwood’s Hub on Wheels will be at our site next week, Tuesday from 11AM-2PM and we still have a few spots left!

These one-hour appointment will include:
🩺30 minutes with a registered health care provider
👩‍💻30 minutes with a case worker

Hun on Wheels is also able to provide wraparound supports, including menstrual products, hygiene products, safer s*x supplies, and harm reduction supplies (while supplies last).

📩 Contact us to sign up today at [email protected] to secure your spot

Starting Monday, September 15, our Monday evening drop ins will be held at Toronto Public Library - Eglinton Square Branch (1 Eglinton Square, Unit 126). Giving us more room to connect, recharge, and build community together.

Keep an eye out for the upcoming workshops & events. We can’t wait to see you there!