June 15, 2011

Canadian Association of Women in Construction to keep growing profile with membership

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

The Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) is anxious to ramp up membership as it moves to implement its new five-year strategic plan.

“I think in any association, that’s primary,” says president Tammy Evans, a partner in the law firm of Blaney McMurtry. “But it is even more important in ours, because we know that we are not reaching enough women.

“We believe there are many women out there who could benefit from networking opportunities and support.”

The association, which celebrated its fifth anniversary last fall, has grown from an initial group of about 20 to more than 100. Its mandate is to promote the long-term success of women in the Canadian construction industry.

Evans, who practises in the areas of land development and construction, told CAWIC’s VIP gala dinner that the new strategic plan is intended to build on “the solid infrastructure” established previously.

“We’ve identified key areas of focus and have already begun taking concrete steps to implement the new plan.”

In addition to growing the membership base, the board also intends to focus over the coming years on increasing CAWIC’s profile in the industry, improving its mentorship program and implementing more networking and skills-sharing events.

The association also has earmarked working more closely within the educational system to encourage and support young women entering the industry as a key area of focus over the next five years.

“We’ve got to reach out to younger women who are either entering the industry or are thinking about getting in, but don’t know where to turn,” Evans said. ‘We want to be the go-to resource.”

Over the next five years, the association also plans to step up efforts to reach out to other industry organizations to identify partnership opportunities.

CAWIC last fall partnered with the GTA Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) to further its objective of reaching out to more women. Evans said CAWIC is “excited” at the opportunity to work co-operatively with BILD.

Community outreach is an ongoing priority for the association, whose members are drawn from a broad cross-section of the industry, from tradeswomen and contractors to designers and other professionals.

CAWIC raised more than $20,000 in sponsorship funds or donations in kind to support Habitat for Humanity Toronto’s recent 2011 Women Build. A total of 16 CAWIC members participated in the event.

“This is the power of women,” Evans said, noting that the association will continue to participate in complementary community events aimed at supporting women.

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