The Friendship Centre Movement, where women have always been at the forefront

โ€œI really attribute the growth of the movement to the large number of women that have been involvedโ€ โ€” Jocelyn Formsma

Why It Matters

While social impact organizations across Canada work toward gender parity and equity, Indigenous Friendship Centres are 70 percent women-led, and have been helmed by women since they emerged in the 1950s. The first story in a partnered series with the National Association of Friendship Centres, we break down why and how Friendship Centres foster womenโ€™s leadership.

โ€œWe just naturally do things differently. When I look at other organizations, there’s so much emphasis on gender parity and gender equity,โ€ says Jocelyn Formsma, executive director of the National Association of Friendship Centres. โ€œCompanies are always talking about making sure there are enough women on their boards and in senior management positions; and we’re an organization that has achieved that naturally.โ€ย 

The National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) is the national body for the Friendship Centre Movement in Canada. Supporting over 107-member Friendship Centres and Provincial/Territorial Associations (PTA) from coast-to-coast-to-coast. The NAFC champions urban Indigeno

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