YWCA's GirlSpace looks for new funding
Organization seeks donations to keep empowerment program free
Robin Grant
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Shiri MacPherson says the seven years she has spent attending the YWCA of Yellowknife GirlSpace program has changed her life for the better.
GirlSpace is a program run by the YWCA of Yellowknife to help young girls grow into independent and strong women. YWCA is fundraising to raise enough money to keep the program free and accessible. - photo courtesy of YWCA Strong Girls, Strong Leaders |
"When I first joined, I was the shyest person ever. I would hide behind my mom's back all the time. And, at the group itself, I wouldn't talk much," she said, adding that all this has changed. Today, the 15-year-old says she is confident and optimistic about her future as a result of the program.
"I'm really outgoing and talk a lot, and I do what I want, and go out and do what I think is right," she said.
Strong Women, Strong Girls is a national mentoring organization that works with young women to instill self confidence and counteract negative social pressures.
The program also introduces young girls to colleges and careers, builds strong leadership skills and builds a safe, strong female community around each of them, according to the GirlSpace website.
But now that its four-year funding contract with Canadian Women's Foundation has dried up, participants like MacPherson are concerned they might lose something that has been so helpful to them throughout their childhood years. So, the YWCA has launched a fundraising campaign, YWCA Strong Girls, Strong Leadership, in the hopes of keeping the program free and accessible.
Ashley MacDonald, GirlSpace programming co-ordinator, said the program is essential to help girls become confident, independent women and leaders.
"It's the only program doing this that is available free of charge so really it's the only accessible girls empowerment program in Yellowknife," she said.
"So we really, really want to make sure that we can keep fundraising for it so we don't have to offer a fee-based program."
With the Northwest Territories experiencing the second highest rate of family violence in the country according to the Status of Women Council of the NWT, MacDonald added the program is all the more important. She said girls need access to an atmosphere where they feel safe, don't feel judged, can test their boundaries, explore their relationships and experience, learn about their rights and develop skills that will last a lifetime.
Data from an independent evaluation of the program last year showed it is having an overwhelmingly positive effect on the lives of girls, and this feedback has been echoed by parents, guardians and teachers, she said.
"If we watch a video or something or there's a topic in the news about something that we don't like and we don't understand why it's happening, we talk about what we can do to make differences in this world and we talk a lot about girls' rights and stuff," MacPherson said.
"I think it is the best investment (donors) could make. I've seen it not only help me, but everyone who has participated in it ... it's something that if I had 40 grand I would definitely, in a heart beat, donate."
