About AWEDA
AWEDA (All Women’s Empowerment and Development Association), established in 2005, provides social and economic support to immigrant and refugee women in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). A non-profit organization focusing on Nova Scotia, AWEDA is dedicated to the social-cultural and economic empowerment of immigrant and refugee women so they and their children and families may be better integrated into society in Nova Scotia.
AWEDA matches, trains and promotes the skills of immigrant women as small business entrepreneurs by exploring the business opportunities that exist in HRM. AWEDA enhances their economic productivity as self-employed individuals and gives them greater control over their lives.
The main goal of AWEDA is to increase employment opportunities and work experience for low-income immigrant and refugee women in Nova Scotia with an initial focus in HRM. All of AWEDA’s projects address key factors identified by our local partners (local immigrant and refugee women, settlement agencies etc.) through its innovative community-based Empowerment Program created by AWEDA. This program provides supplemental services to its members, their children, families and communities regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, age, or ability.
Mission & Values:
AWEDA is dedicated to the social-cultural and economic empowerment of immigrant and refugee women to the end that they may be better integrated into Canadian society and practically be equipped to meet the needs of their children through community economic development association.
Vision - To be a dynamic empowerment association that provides opportunity to improve the overall quality of life of marginalized immigrant and refugee women and their families by responding to their diverse socio-economic needs.
Mission - To empower immigrant and refugee women through co-operative development. We utilize co-operatives to foster sustainable financial independence, thereby promoting social equality for immigrant and refugee women, their children and families.
Core Values -
- Cooperation
- Diversity
- Fairness
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Openness
The AWEDA Empowerment Centre
We are dedicated to providing quality, effective services, and are sensitive to the social, economic and environmental needs of immigrant and refugee women in Nova Scotia. We seek to develop programs that will empower them to participate fully in Canadian life.
The Centre is:
- a space for immigrant and refugee women to meet and work together in solving their problems and help them participate fully in Canadian life
- a vehicle through which socially and economically marginalized immigrant and refugee women can increase their personal, social, human, physical and financial assets
- an incubator for the development of low income immigrant and refugee women’s ideas and interests in self-employment, entrepreneurship and co-operative ventures
- directed and staffed by women
- closely tied to the business community and actively involve successful women business owners as mentors and coaches
- provides flexible programs that allow individual women to participate in the programs they need
- provides women with ongoing support during the start up and implementation of their self-employment/business/co-op idea(s)
- encourages women who participate in the program to become peer supporters and mentors to prospective participants
- provides ongoing public education and advocacy about the barriers faced by women and work to improve the social, economic and environmental policies that affect them