Though no Burlington nominees took home a YWCA Women of Distinction Award at last Thursday’s event in Hamilton, it was clear that Hamilton, Burlington, and the whole of Halton Region have many women and gender-diverse people worthy of the honour.
The spheres of work and causes championed varied, but nominees were united in that they are all drivers of change within their communities.
This year marked the 48th year of YWCA Hamilton’s Women of Distinction Awards, and they celebrated in style with a gathering of 1000 people, starting with a cocktail reception, then dinner and the awards presentation, followed by the After’wards after-party, complete with a fashion show by MacInStyle.
While there were 50 deserving nominees, only five awards were given, alongside the special recognition categories: the Young Trailblazer award, the Lifetime Achievement award, and the Honorary Woman of Distinction award.
Amongst the attendees were local politicians, including Hamilton’s Mayor Andrea Horwath; MPs Lisa Hepner, Filomena Tassi, and Pam Damoff; Burlington’s Mayor Marianne Meed Ward; and a number of Hamilton councillors. Burlington’s Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns was in attendance as an award nominee.
Burlington and Halton nominees alongside Kearns were Anneliese Lawton, Angela Brewer, Ashley Deland, Attie Sandink, Dara Eisner Clancy, Izabela Kvesic, Janet Kasperski, Kirsten Dougherty, Layal Al-Haidari, Lisa Bilodeau, Nina Page, Tammy Fox, and Whitney Hammond.
This year’s Honorary Woman of Distinction was Denise Christopherson, former YWCA Hamilton CEO. “This award is presented each year to a woman whose life has been touched by YWCA Hamilton, and who has distinguished herself through exceptional dedication and passion,” according to a YWCA Hamilton press release. Christopherson, in her time as CEO, was at the helm of building the Putnam Family YWCA, which offers permanent, affordable housing for 50 women and women-led families.
Said Christopherson, “I share this award with every woman who was told she shouldn’t, couldn’t, or wouldn’t.”
She also issued a warning regarding reproductive rights and justice: “What is happening in the States, it’s going to happen here.” Christopherson exhorted the audience to “remain steadfast in our advocacy, raising our collective voice” for equity and justice.
The five women recognized with a 2024 Women of Distinction Award were Sashaina Singh, whose work in McMaster’s Office of Community Engagement and in her external roles involve working towards equity and educating people on anti-racism and anti-oppression; Dr. Ada Tang, of McMaster’s School of Rehabilitation Science, was recognized not just for considering sex, gender, and other oft-ignored variables in her research, but also for her inclusive leadership and mentorship; Jelena Vermilion, executive director of the Sex Workers Action Program (SWAP) Hamilton and trans-femme full-service sex worker, honoured for her ongoing advocacy for sex workers; Kennishia Boahene, the system equity officer for Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board, recognized for her social justice and youth advocacy work in schools and beyond; and Dr. Kim Jones, a chemical engineering professor at McMaster, and chair of the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, who was chosen for this award for her work in fostering an increase in women going into engineering in university.
Ahona Mehdi was honoured with the Young Trailblazer Award, for her anti-racism and anti-oppression work in the school system, as well as for her commitment to addressing the housing crisis.
Dr. Pat Smith was the winner in the Lifetime Achievement category, for her continuous work for the community as an advocate and educator, and as a provider of abortion care and medical assistance in dying (MAID), sometimes even in the face of threats to her personal safety.
Each of the 2024 Women of Distinction Award winners offered their own thanks and inspiring words upon receiving their awards, with their passion for their community work on full display.
Vermilion urged city councillors and others to do more, and made sure to recognize others: “My life has been saved day in and day out by my peers.” Vermilion spoke of a fellow sex worker who had not survived an encounter with the police. And of her sex work, she said, “I am not ashamed. I am valuable,” regardless of that work, “just like everyone else here…except for the police, but that’s just my opinion.”
Smith noted in her acceptance speech that people often ask her why she continued working on the margins of medicine, especially during times of possible danger to herself and her family.
She explained that there were a few reasons, one being her “deeply-held belief that people have a right to self-determination.” Then there are the people themselves, those she has met during the course of her work.
Finally, Smith said, “If not me, then who?” before urging the audience to consider that same question.
Continuing with acceptance speeches that spoke truth to power was Mehdi. She used her time on the stage to not only call out injustices occurring worldwide, but to note that while she was “not always the most-liked person in the room,” alluding to her fight to bring to light the racism she faced as a student trustee at Hamilton Wentworth District School Board, which resulted in an independent, third-party review, but that “I don’t necessarily need to be liked by white supremacists and fascists.”
To much applause, Mehdi ended with the statement, “White [women’s] feminism never has, and never will save us.” [Editor’s note: if you’d like to explore this statement, Mikki Kendall’s book, Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women a Movement Forgot, is a good starting point.]
Aside from celebrating the Women of Distinction, winners and nominees, the evening was also a fundraiser for YWCA Hamilton, and Layne the Auctionista was on hand to help encourage attendees to donate. By the end of the night, $56,800 of the $75,000 goal had been raised; at the time of publication, donations were still being accepted (click here).
The evening didn’t end after dinner and the awards; YWCA Hamilton put on their first after-party, with a DJ, food, drinks, and a fashion show by MacInStyle.
MacInStyle, a fashion club founded by Mashael M. at McMaster University, featured the work of five student-designers on models of all genders on the YWCA runway. That, says Mashael, is embedded in the club’s ethos: “We stand for inclusivity…that’s what fashion is for, to express yourself without words.”
Maceo Mercey, Cassie Wong Wylie, Jax Weafer, Jay Tran Phoung, and Pippi (styled by Hannah), were the designers whose work was shown. There was streetwear, clothes constructed from thrift store denim, a dress made from repurposed neckties, and colourways from neutrals to rich red, yellow, and orange.
While each designer expressed their own unique viewpoint through their diverse collections, common themes of social change, identity, and sustainability, alongside the club’s overarching inclusivity, provided the connections between each designer’s collection.
The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards and After’wards took place on Thurs., March 7, 2024, at the Hamilton Convention Centre by Carmen’s.
