Imagine you’re a woman desperate to escape a violent home and take your children to safety. Where do you turn?
In Toronto, The Redwood has been a safe haven for women for decades. Today, it’s also a place where all women feel welcome, including women of colour, women living in poverty, immigrant women, and LGBT women.
How did this transition happen? In 2008, The Redwood created a framework for the board and organization that would help them become more diverse in their thinking, their policies, and in the delivery of services.
When David Woodard, Board member and Chair, Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppression committee, talks, he uses both past and future tenses, “The framework has transformed us and will continue to do so.” Here, he talks about how The Redwood has become not just reflective of its community, but has become an agent of change.
Why The Redwood was awarded a Diversity in Governance Award
The Redwood is a safe haven for women and children fleeing domestic violence. A wide range of services is available to residents of the shelter and women in the community. Many of the women using these services are from racialized and marginalized communities. They are newcomers, whose first-language is not English. Many are coping not only with abuse, but are also living in poverty.
The organization works actively at all levels to tackle inequities. At the board, diversity is a deeply imbedded principle. It is put into practice in governance policies. It stems from the value of placing women and children at the centre of everything the organization does.
The board recruitment efforts include reaching out to former clients and to others from racialized and immigrant communities. As well, prospective board members need to understand the agency’s Anti-racism/Anti-oppression (ARAO) framework which is supported through training and ongoing monitoring and evaluation.
But beyond the policies and practices that have been put in place, board members have recognized that diversity is an evolving process that is not always comfortable and clear. They assess how power is used personally, as well as structurally, and are engaged in the difficult work of challenging privileges based on race, class, ability, and language.
The hard work has paid off. Board members now have built the trust that allows them to face the challenges of diversity and equity with real openness, collaboration and refection. Today, The Redwood’s board members are not just representative of their client communities; they are agents of change.
Profiles of other 2010 winners: