ABOUT US
Agency & Advocacy
Our feminism & values
Our feminism advocates for the decision-making agency of diverse women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary people and challenges all the societal barriers that undermine their choices, freedoms, gifts, and humanity.
We work to be empathetic and nonjudgmental, appreciating the whole lives, varied journeys, and expertise of women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary people.
We work to be action-oriented, intersectional, and critical in confronting all oppressions against women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary people and in redistributing power to and with them.
The values that guide us are:
- Taking Action for a Just World
- Support and Nurturance
- Collaboration
- Inclusion
- Integrity
Organizational Change
Our Own Work
We recognize that our organization operates within oppressions, like misogyny, racism, and transphobia. We struggle to unlearn oppression in our own practices, to decolonize our practices, as we work towards equity, diversity, and inclusion for all persons who seek and deserve justice within our organization’s work and in society at large. We know that anti-oppression work and justice work are part of working on our own wellbeing as individuals and as an organization. Our current work in organizational change includes addressing racial justice and trans inclusion.
Here are some resources we’re drawing from:
Racial justice
Me and White Supremacy
by Layla Saad
Dancing on Live Embers: Challening Racism in Organizations
by Barb Thomas and Tina Lopes
Trans inclusion
Trans Inclusion
The Victoria Sexual Assault Centre
STAFF
Mica Francis
Women’s Support Worker
Gisele Carpenter
Women’s Support Worker
Marcia Connolly
Guysborough County Outreach Support Worker
Najlaa Alzaanin
Immigrant Support Program Coordinator
Karla Stevens
Circles of Support and Change - indigenous Knowledge Coordinator
Tonya Pelley
Circles of Support and Change - African Nova Scotian Communities Community Facilitator
Michelle Newell
Circles of Support and Change – Canso and Area Community Facilitator
Danielle Martell
Circles of Support and Change – NSCC Strait Area and Richmond County Community Facilitator
Moraig Macgillivray
Healthy Relationships for Youth Program Coordinator
Kayleigh Trenholm
Healthy Relationships for Youth – SRCE Coordinator
Emily Trudeau
Healthy Relationships for Youth – CSAP Coordinator
Faye Fraser
Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator
BOARD MEMBERS
Co-Chair
Cianna MacKeigan
Member
April Prosper
Member
Shelby Thompson
Member
Christina Holmes
Member
Farhiyo Salah
Member
Hina Shehzadi
Member
Ilse Hill
Member
Tanya Felix
Member
Laura Burns
Member
Anita Stewart
Annual Reports
Click to open and download
We strive to be representative of the people and communities we serve. For our work and volunteer opportunities, we welcome applications from visible minority group members, African Nova Scotians, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.
We strive to lower and remove barriers in society, as well as those that we have as an organization to be more inclusive and accessible to the diversity of people and communities who need our work the most.
Curious about our logo?
Created in June, 2021, our current logo connects to the history of AWRCSASA and is a visual representation of all that we do now.
Women who were looking for services and working for societal change founded the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association in 1983. Our organization remains woman-positive, appreciating the multi-issued and complex lives of women, girls, Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary people, whose diverse experiences provide lessons in resilience and in resistance.