Her Story
In April of 1999, an equality workshop was held for women in Central Newfoundland. Ms. Joyce Hancock, President of Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women (1996-2006), facilitated a discussion of issues/concerns to women in our area. Among the common threads identified by participants were an expressed interest in a local Status of Women’s Council and an acknowledgment of the need for a Women’s Centre. Thus began the work of the Steering Committee for a Status of Women’s Council in Central NL.
Status of Women Central was successful in obtaining funding through the Women’s Policy Office in 2001 to complete a needs assessment and feasibility study on establishing a women’s centre in the Central (west) region of the Province. In March 2002, Sandra Kelly, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, announced core funding would be in place for the Women’s Centre. That meant that funding was provided to allow this organization to take the next step and open a Women’s Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.
In July 2002 the door of our Women’s Center on 11 Hardy Avenue in Grand Falls-Windsor, NL was opened. The Women’s Center is a community resource connected with many other community, agency and government based organizations. Since 2002, we have been responsible for providing a number of essential services to the women, families, and communities of the Central West Region as well as working to promote equality in our province as a whole.