Programs Serving Women Well
Facilitating Inclusion

Agency: St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre
Location: Hamilton

Program Description:

Facilitating Inclusion trains women from diverse cultural backgrounds in participatory facilitation, research, and leadership skills. This innovative program connects participants to local planning processes and leadership opportunities, enabling them to effect change locally. Not only does Facilitating Inclusion support individual women, it also addresses the lack of representation of minority groups in policy-making and community development, and the inequalities and poverty that become entrenched as a result.

Facilitating Inclusion began in 2003 when St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre collaborated with the Catalyst Centre on a facilitation training curriculum for women, with generous support from the Hamilton Community Foundation. Upon completion of the first year of the program, participants identified other learning needs that would enhance their community development skills. Building on these recommendations, a leadership component to the program was created.

Since its inception, Facilitating Inclusion has run two facilitation trainings, two leadership skills enhancement courses, and training in community-based research. The program continues to create opportunities for learning and growth as it moves toward self-sustainability. Most recently, participants had the opportunity to learn about establishing co-operative businesses.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, a woman must self-identify as a member of an ethno-cultural or Aboriginal community and have an interest and/or experience in community development and civic process. Her immigration status is not an issue, nor does she have to be an EI recipient or even unemployed to participate.

While the participant does not have to agree to continuing on in community development work per se, she does have to commit to contributing to the continuation and promotion of the Facilitating Inclusion program -- as a community development initiative in itself -- either by contracting out her facilitation skills or acting as a trainer, volunteer or seminar speaker for future sessions and initiatives.  Alternatively, a participant may contribute by becoming a member of the program’s co-operative business. This is being established in order that Facilitating Inclusion is self-sustainable when funding runs out.

Measures of Success:

“Thank you for the great program which changed my life. I learned to be strong so I can do anything to help my family in this life.” - participant

Over 50 women have participated in one or more of the phases of the Facilitating Inclusion trainings. They become equipped with the leadership skills needed to increase their earning power, engage their communities, and plan their own local projects. They gain marketable facilitation skills that are currently in demand and valuable experience. 

The perception amongst community partners is that this is an innovative and essential project. Non-profit organizations and concerned community members benefit from the participatory model in their planning processes.  Partners also see that it has the potential of being a model for other cities across Canada.

The women in the leadership training have been involved in eight community development projects and those who completed the facilitation training have run over 30 workshops, focus groups, and trainings in the Hamilton area. Some of the projects were as follows:

• Designing and delivering focus groups regarding access to city services within a variety of ethno-cultural communities. This project was requested by the City of Hamilton Access and Equity Office and the information gathered was used to inform staff training in anti-oppressive, anti-racist practice.
   
• Designing and delivering information sessions on women’s health to the Vietnamese and Chinese communities, contracted by McMaster Hospital. These information sessions were successful in ensuring that newcomers were made aware of the importance of regular checkups. 
  
  
• Designing and delivering a needs assessment focus group for the St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre in order to determine the programming needs of immigrant girls and the adolescent daughters of immigrants. This information is currently being used to inform program development. 

Why It Works:

“It was a wonderful program to participate in and I think that we should not stop here and should implement our skills wherever we can.” - participant

This program has an innovative and committed funder. The Hamilton Community Foundation has a history of investing in communities of colour in order that they may advocate on their own behalf and overcome barriers of poverty and inequality.

Local agencies and community members have also helped ensure the program's success by providing leadership and research opportunities.

Challenges:

In the past, the time required for initiating and engaging in community development projects was underestimated. Time is especially a challenge for women with additional challenges and responsibilities. Therefore, timelines have been reevaluated.

Women experience a variety of barriers to participation in leadership and community development training programs, most notably access to transportation and access to affordable childcare. Program staff work diligently to explore avenues of funding that will support the full participation of women in spite of these barriers, allowing those women most marginalized to take part.

The Effects of the LMDA on this Service:

While the effects of the LMDA have not been keenly felt within the Facilitating Inclusion program (due to the generously support of Hamilton Community Foundation), cuts to Status of Women are expected to impact the establishment of a co-operative business structure for the program.

For More Information:

St. Joseph Immigrant Women’s Centre web site: www.stjosephwomen.on.ca
Contact: Jennifer Aggus, Program Coordinator
905-529-5209 extension 257 or jaggus@stjosephwomen.on.ca

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