1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
2. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY- PROFILING WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
3. MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LIST
4. BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS: ABORIGINAL WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS
5. OTHER UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS
6. ACTIVATE 2011 NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM – ENCOURAGE A FEMALE YOUTH TO APPLY NOW!
7. BOBBIE STEEN AWARDS – CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
8. WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP – RESEARCH UPDATE
9. CAAWS Partners with CARE on Walk in Her Shoes Challenge
10. ONTARIO WOMEN’S HEALTH NETWORK LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
11. CELEBRATIONS

1. CAAWS PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE

Preview the Women and Leadership Network - CAAWS is excited to announce that we will be launching a new Women and Leadership Network website in February 2011. The Network will be a space where women leaders can connect, build their skills, connect, share ideas, discuss issues, find solutions and take action! The Network will be open to all women interested in leadership in sport and physical activity – administrators, volunteers, coaches, officials and others. The success of the Network will rely on the engagement of members – add a comment or ask a question on the forum, add your voice to the current “Take Action” campaign, recommend a book or professional development opportunity, invite a friend to join...there will be many ways you can contribute! Visit www.caaws.ca/Leadership/preview/ to get a sneak peek, add your email and be kept “in the loop” on the Network’s launch.

Women in Sport Encouragement (WISE) Fund – The WISE fund, provided in partnership with Sport Canada, helps support sport initiatives targeted to girls and women and the professional development of female sport leaders. This year, CAAWS received more than 190 WISE fund applications. The twelve recipients of the 2011 WISE Fund will be announced early February – Stay tuned!

CAAWS Involved in New National After-School Project – To address rising rates of physical inactivity and obesity amongst children and youth, CAAWS is contributing to a new national project to increase healthy living during the after-school time period. The Active Healthy Living After-School Project is a comprehensive, multi-dimensional initiative that will establish a pan-Canadian after-school program delivery framework. Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the project will contribute to 2015 Physical Activity Targets set by the F/P/T Ministers responsible for sport and recreation. CAAWS will lead a number of project activities to ensure the needs, interests and experiences of girls and young women are integrated throughout the project. Other project partners include PHE Canada, Canadian Parks and Recreation Association, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, Active Healthy Kids Canada, the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, and Green Communities.

2. CELEBRATING CAAWS’ 30TH ANNIVERSARY - PROFILING WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

2011 marks CAAWS’ 30th anniversary. To celebrate this landmark achievement we are showcasing key milestones, and the women behind them, that have contributed to CAAWS’ vision of an equitable sport and physical activity system in which girls and women are actively engaged as participants and leaders.

“Through the years CAAWS has had the pleasure of working with so many great women and men who are passionate about making a difference for girls and women in sport and physical activity. We still have work to be done but with our 30th anniversary we want to stop for a moment to profile some of these leaders” – Karin Lofstrom, CAAWS Executive Director.

MARION LAY

To kick off CAAWS’ 30th anniversary celebrations it is only fitting to recognize one of CAAWS’ founding mothers, Marion Lay, and her contributions to women and sport and physical activity over the past forty years.

Marion Lay is an accomplished athlete, coach and leader within the Canadian sport community, and a strong advocate for getting females off the sidelines and into the game – in various capacities and positions. In 1974, Marion, along with Penny Werthner, Abby Hoffman and Petra Burke, organized Canada’s first women and sport conference. In addition to her leadership during the founding of CAAWS, Marion was also instrumental in establishing many organizations including: ProMOTION Plus, WomenSport International, and the Canadian Sport Centre Pacific. Other accomplishments include, heading operations for Rick Hansen’s 1985-1987 Man in Motion World Tour, serving as an executive member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, being involved with the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation since 1998 including a term as Chair, and serving as president of the 2010 Legacies Now Society. Presently, Marion owns her own company, Think Sport Ltd.

To date, Marion has been honoured with numerous awards and accolades including: 1991 Y.W.C.A. Women of Distinction Award for Recreation and Sport; 1994 CAAWS Herstorical Award; 1995 Bryce Taylor Memorial Award for Outstanding Contribution to Canadian Sport; 1996 Canadian Citizenship Award; 1998 Bobbie Steen Award of Excellence for Leadership in the Sport Community; 2001 Leadership in Sports Award – Canadian Sports Awards; 2001 International Olympic Committee’s Women and Sport Trophy for the Americas; and the 2002 Carol Anne Letheren International Sport Leadership Award

CAAWS would like to recognize Marion Lay’s accomplishments and thank her for her hard work and dedication in creating an equitable sport and physical activity system in Canada.

3. MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTVITY LIST

CAAWS is proud to announce its Most Influential Women (MIW) List for 2010, highlighting the leadership, strength and accomplishments of Canadian women who made a significant impact in sport and physical activity in 2010. The MIW List aims to inspire and motivate other women and girls to take leading roles in sport and physical activity – at the community, provincial, national or international level. To see the full press release, and view the 2010 recipients, visit CAAWS’ Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity website.

4. BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS: ABORIGINAL WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOPS

In the next three months CAAWS will be delivering a number of Building On Our Strengths: Aboriginal Women and Leadership Workshops across the country. Designed by Aboriginal women for Aboriginal women, these workshops provide a personal and professional development opportunity to increase the skill level and confidence of Aboriginal women to make a difference in their community. Register for one today!

For more dates, locations and details visit CAAWS Aboriginal Women and Leadership webpage.

5. OTHER UPCOMING CAAWS WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS

6. ACTIVATE 2011 NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM – ENCOURAGE A FEMALE YOUTH TO APPLY NOW!

Motivate Canada is looking for Canadian youth between the ages of 16 and 22 to take part in their 7th annual ACTIVATE National Youth Leadership Forum on Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity. From May 11 to 15, youth from all across Canada will come together to build leadership skills and learn how to effect positive change in their communities. The application deadline is January 26, 2011. For more information and to apply online visit the Motivate Canada website. Encourage female youth to apply for this great opportunity!

7. BOBBIE STEEN AWARDS – CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Bobbie Steen Awards recognize individuals (both women and men) and organizations for their contribution to women and sport in the province of British Columbia. Three awards are offered:
The Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award,
The Bobbie Steen Award of Excellence for Development, and The Bobbie Steen Award of Excellence for Career Achievement. Visit the ProMOTION Plus website for more information and to download an application form. The nomination deadline is January 24, 2011 – Nominate someone today!

8. WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP – RESEARCH UPDATE

The US Women’s Sports Foundation recently released a report titled Women in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games: An Analysis of Participation, Leadership, and Media Opportunities. As the third report in a series committed to following the progress of women in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, this report examines the trends in athlete participation, hiring of Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies, and media coverage of the 2010 Games. For the full report visit:
www.womenssportsfoundation.org/Content/Research-Reports/2010-Olympic-Report.aspx

A recent report from the UK titled Trophy Women? NGB [National Governing Body] Leadership Audit 2010 describes how sport "desperately needs more women" in top positions. The report criticizes the underrepresentation of women in senior management levels in the run-up to London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The audit found that only one in five members of NGB boards in the UK is female, and seven out of 46 NGBs do not have a single woman on their board. For the full report visit:
http://insidethegames.biz/summer-olympics/2012/11351-sport-qdesperately-needs-more-womenq-in-top-jobs

9. CAAWS Partners with CARE on Walk in Her Shoes Challenge
Women and girls in the poorest communities around the world walk an average of 6km – 8,000 steps – every day to collect life-essentials such as water or firewood. This leaves little time to attend school, visit the health clinic or earn money to support their families. This year, CARE Canada is excited to launch Walk in Her Shoes in celebration of the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Taking part is easy - register as an individual or team and get your group, school or colleagues involved in this national challenge.

Give it a try! Every step has the power to change her life forever.
Visit www.care.ca or email walkinhershoes@care.cato find out more.

CARE is Canada’s global force dedicated to defending dignity and fighting poverty by empowering the world's most vulnerable and greatest resource for change: women and girls.

10. ONTARIO WOMEN’S HEALTH NETWORK LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
The Ontario Women’s Health Network (OWHN) will be hosting Women’s Health Leadership 101 training workshops on March 7-9, and March 23-25, 2011. The retreats, to be held at the Nottawasaga Inn, in Alliston ON, provide women with the knowledge and skills to become active in women’s health issues in their communities. For more information, and to apply online, visit www.owhn.on.ca or call toll-free 1-877-860-4545. The application deadlines are January 26, 2011, and February 2, 2011.

11. CELEBRATIONS
The Canadian Soccer Associations has named Christine Sinclair as their female selection for 2010 Canadian Players of the Year award.

A number of women have been named to key positions for the 2012 Olympic Games by the Canadian Olympic Committee Dr. Julia Alleyne has been named chief medical officer; Dr. Kimberly Amirault-Ryan will lead the team of mental performance consultants; and Marnie McBean has been selected as specialist, athlete preparation.

Monique Leroux, president and CEO of Desjardins Group and volunteer chairperson of the 2013 Canada Summer Games, has been named one of twenty-five Transformational Canadians. In 2008, Leroux became the first woman to lead a major financial institution in Canada.

Tricia Smith was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada for her leadership in amateur sport in Canada and abroad, and for her advocacy of athletes and women in sport.

In the Loop celebrates women’s accomplishments in the sport and physical activity community. Send career notices, changes, awards and recognitions to CAAWS c/o ljsearson@caaws.ca to be included in the next issue.

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