In 2025, the Women’s Committee elected Ashley Shinde and Sarah-Kai Antanaitis as co-chairs. Many new members joined this year to bring the total number of committee members to 14.
In March, the Committee hosted an International Women’s Day open house titled “Love and Solidarity at our Union Hall. Folks who joined us participated in activities including, plant pot decorating and planting, a bath bomb painting workshop hosted by Over the Rainbow Bath Bombs (a Hamilton, women-run small business), beading station, colouring pages and more! Snacks for this event were provided by 541 Eatery and Pinch (who also provided the plants). All that attended left with handmade goodies. We collected menstrual hygiene products at this event. The co-chairs purchased additional products to “top-up” the haul. The menstrual products were donated to the Interval House Shelter in Hamilton who were very grateful for them.
Over the summer, the Women’s Committee hosted a School Supply Drive at the Union Hall. Our members donated several large boxes of school supplies that were donated to the Eva Rothwell Centre to distribute to the community.
In September, a few committee members participated in SACHA’s Take Back the Night rally and march at Hamilton City Hall. This is always an enlightening and inspiring event. We toured the tables for swag, purchased from the Indigenous Market, listened to speeches from survivors and music from performers, and last but certainly not least, marched through the streets chanting! “What do we do when we’re under attack? STAND UP, FIGHT BACK!”
Throughout the year, members of the committee collected and donated shoe boxes for our Christmas “Shoebox Project”. For this initiative, members of the committee filled these shoeboxes with gifts and wrapped them. The boxes will be distributed to women living in Hamilton shelters for the holiday season.
We are now gearing up for IWD 2026! Stay Tuned for more details.