About The Congress of Black Women of Canada

The Ontario Region is a vital part of the Congress of Black Women of Canada, a National non-profit organization, which was founded by the late Kay Livingstone in 1980. The Congress consists of chapters throughout the country. Membership is open to all Black women sixteen years and over.

The Congress functions at three levels: 

Nationally, the Congress is administered by the National Executive Council who are elected every two years.

Provincially, the business of the Congress is supervised by the Regional Representative who liaisons with the National Executive Council on behalf of the local chapters.

Locally, members elect executive members who, with the assistance of the Provincial Representative, maintain and direct the chapter and its programs.

The Ontario Region provides leadership and direction to create and maintain links among the local chapters in their missions to address the social, economic, and cultural issues and needs of Black women, regardless of ability, age, ancestry, citizenship, class, ethnicity, family status, marital status, place of birth, religion or sexual orientation. The CBWC Ontario Region aims to promote organizational visibility, facilitate consistency of leadership and coordinate responses to the concerns and issues of all Ontario Chapters.

Within this framework the Ontario Region, with twelve chapters throughout the province, focuses on Kay Livingstone's vision which is to assist Black women and their families in the areas of Human Rights, Child Development, Education, Health, Housing, Pensions, Racism and sexism.