Canadian Council of Muslim Women
Vancouver Chapter
Annual Report 2010 to 2011

The Vancouver chapter has essentially become stagnant over the past few years, until now.  With the introduction of the MYCanada project in Vancouver, there has been a keen interest by both young Muslim males and females in the city and surrounding areas.  In fact, the Vancouver MYCanada chapter was highlighted as one of the front runners in the initiative, and one of the most successful. 

Consequently, we believe that the chapter stands the greatest chances of establishing itself by tapping into the youth demographic by maintaining the MYCanada namesake. 

Other work that was conducted by CCMW members in Vancouver includes:

1) Helping in lunch preparation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for the needy through the Feed the Hungry initiative; a collaborative project between the Vancouver Jewish and Muslim communities in Vancouver

2) Speaking at UBC’s TEDx Terry Talks Conference, on how to improve multicultural policy and practices within Canada (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN3GG-vPxlk)

3) Submitting articles to The Nation, including “Islam on Trial” and “Ramadan Road Trip”

4) Organizing the first pan Muslim event on the UBC campus, encouraging the relationship building between Muslim youths of various sects

Organize a free screening of 4 Lions, which not only speaks to the youthful audience that the chapter needs to attract, but further exposes the creative work being completed by Muslims overseas, recognizing that chapters need to be aware of the global reach of the Muslim community.

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Over the course of the 2008-2009 year, the Vancouver chapter has engaged in completing the Shariah law workshops. Two workshops were held, one for family law mediators, and another for service providers. Consequently, the workshops dealt with sensitivity training and informing individuals in the legal and social services field on the potential religious concerns of a Muslim couple they may be mediating with.

The Vancouver chapter is looking to increase its membership and capacity through targeting youth; mainly female university students. This initiative will be undertaken by the Chapter’s newest member, Tahira Ebrahim, who will also harness the leadership and networking skills of the youth delegates at this year’s MY Canada conference.

The chapter recognizes that Vancouver’s lack of cohesion in the Muslim community has attributed to the difficulty in garnering support and commitment to CCMW. In response, the chapter’s proposed activities will surround both social and leadership events for Muslim female youth. This will incorporate more efficient communication methods through online event planning and the formation of a Facebook page to attract its targeted audience and showcase its events, both past and present. In addition, the Vancouver chapter is looking to improve its communication with other chapters through online communities, particularly in follow up to the youth conference. Efforts to connect with women in the Greater Vancouver Area will also be made through connecting with local universities and colleges.

In the coming years, the Vancouver chapter hopes to establish relationships with other women’s organizations, such as with the Women for Women in Afghanistan Vancouver chapter, Vancouver Muslims, as well as other Muslim youth organizations in and around Vancouver.

Whereas the chapter will execute any programs or initiatives that are provided by the national board, the chapter will engage in issues and events addressing race relations, Muslim youth leadership and social participation, as well as community involvement. The chapter’s primary objective for the coming year will be to reintroduce itself to the Vancouver community, and rebrand itself as a chapter for youth (20 and older) and young professionals, while harnessing the knowledge and experience of its existing and previous members. An environmental scan will first be conducted to understand the obstacles in reaching out to Muslim women in Vancouver, understanding the needs of these women and youth, and how to make the chapter more relevant to its target audience. This research will be the focus of the chapter’s 2009/2010 agenda.

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