University of Guelph

Purpose

This 29-month project will support a feminist response and recovery to address the current impacts of COVID-19 through systemic change. The Live Work Well Research Centre at the University of Guelph will achieve this by building a pan-Canadian feminist disability coalition to support diverse women and girls with disabilities in becoming powerful advocates for women’s rights. It will also achieve this by bringing together diverse civil society organizations and advocates across Canada to foster broad leadership, participation, and advocacy. The main project activities will be establishing a Canadian feminist disability coalition (CFDC), an advisory group, and regional hubs in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia; leading regional and national gatherings; facilitating the participation of women and girls with disabilities at the Global Women with Disabilities Forum (GWDF) meeting in Ontario in spring 2023; and developing a sustainable model for the CFDC to support its ongoing work for change. At the end of the project, the Live Work Well Research Centre at the University of Guelph will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change and by supporting a positive distribution of authority, influence, and decision-making power to support diverse women’s and girls’ equality.