Over 100 dynamic women gathered in Ottawa for CAVIWO's leadership workshop, “Racialized Women; Empowered to Lead,” in collaboration with the International Center for Family Welfare – Canada. A day of professional growth, strategic networking, and transformative storytelling.
On September 13, 2025, in Ottawa, Canada Virtuous Women (CAVIWO), in collaboration with the Brampton-based International Center for Family Welfare – Canada, played host to an extraordinary gathering of talent, ambition, and community. Our latest leadership workshop, on the theme “Racialized Women; Empowered to Lead,” brought together over 100 dynamic women for a day of professional growth, strategic networking, and transformative storytelling.
The energy in the room was electric from the moment the doors opened. It was a powerful reminder that when racialized women are provided with a space built on safety and shared experience, the potential for innovation and leadership is limitless. Women arrived as strangers and left as a sisterhood, bound by a shared understanding of the barriers they face and a collective determination to move beyond them.
Highlights from the Day
The workshop was structured to move beyond traditional leadership theory, focusing instead on the unique challenges and opportunities faced by racialized women in today's workforce. Every session was designed to be practical, interactive, and grounded in the lived realities of the women in the room.
Keynote Excellence: Our morning began with a stirring address by Dr. Irine Ashu and Loveline Nkabyo on “The Power of Radical Authenticity,” reminding us that our cultural identities are not barriers to leadership, but our greatest strategic assets. They challenged the room to stop shrinking themselves to fit into spaces that were never built for them, and instead to lead from the fullness of who they are.
Skill-Building Circles: Attendees participated in intensive question and answer sessions covering Negotiation Tactics, Strategic Networking, and Navigating Corporate Governance. These were not lectures but conversations, with women sharing hard-won lessons from their own careers and leaving with frameworks they could apply the next morning.
The Mentorship Mixer: We closed the afternoon with a high-speed networking session that sparked dozens of new mentor-mentee connections across the public and private sectors. The room hummed with the sound of women exchanging contact information, making plans, and committing to stay in touch long after the workshop ended.
What Our Attendees Are Saying
“I've attended many leadership seminars, but this was the first time I felt the curriculum was actually written for me. I'm leaving Ottawa with more than just notes — I'm leaving with a sisterhood.” — Anonymous
A Sincere Thank You
This event's success would not have been possible without the funding of the Government of Canada via our Brampton partners, the presence of our Orleans MP, Marie-France Lalonde, our tireless CAVIWO members and volunteers, and — most importantly — the women who showed up ready to lean in and lift each other up. Every hand that helped plan, set up, and welcome participants made the day what it was, and we are deeply grateful for each one.
We are proud to see this community grow and can't wait to see how the connections made on September 13 flourish in the months to come. The relationships forged in that room are already turning into collaborations, referrals, and quiet acts of support that no agenda could have planned.
Stay Connected
Missed out on this session? Don't worry! Based on the overwhelming success of this workshop, we are already planning our Winter 2026 series. Subscribe to our updates or follow CAVIWO on social media to be the first to hear when registration opens. The next room is being prepared, and there is a seat in it with your name on it.
Written by
CAVIWO Leadership Team
Contributor to the CAVIWO community sharing stories of hope, resilience, and advocacy.
