6 Vancouver Women Kicking Ass & Taking Names

In honour of International Women’s Day, we wanted to highlight just a few of the many Vancouver women who are showing up and making positive change in their communities every day.

Chandra Crawford runs Fast and Female, a nonprofit that seeks to inspire young female athletes to compete. The organization reaches out to young athletes via camps featuring inspirational role models, storytelling, mentoring, and physical activity.

Ashleigh Turner is a volunteer with NetSquared Vancouver, a group whose mission is to help nonprofit organizations harness the power of technology for social good. She’s also the Communications Manager at Options for Sexual Health, a registered charity that provides sexual health services to British Columbians.

Janice Abbott has spent the last 24 years helping women and children in Metro Vancouver escape violence, poverty, and addiction. Atira operates dozens of projects, programs, and buildings around the city including both short-term and permanent, low-barrier housing for at-risk women and children, legal advocacy, counselling, and health care outreach in the Downtown Eastside as well as around the Lower Mainland.

Katrina Pacey is a lawyer and social justice advocate who works to help and protect the most vulnerable people in our society as Executive Director of Pivot Legal Society. Katrina litigates cases at the Supreme Court level on issues ranging from safe injection sites to sex workers’ rights.

Laura Cuthbert helps run Kudoz, a platform that helps community members meet cognitively disabled adults and guide them through experiences that enrich their lives. Many adults who live in group home settings are stuck in routines that don’t allow for a lot of growth. Laura’s goal is to dig them out of that rut and show them the possibility and joy in learning something new.

Nina Sheere cofounded Street Feet Society in an effort to combat foot-related health issues, commonly known as street feet, suffered by homeless Canadians on the Downtown Eastside.

Check out on-purpose.ca to read more women’s stories.