Inclusive for Women Inc. dba Women of Toledo (WOT) is a 501c3 non-profit organization serving the Greater Toledo community that is committed to advocating for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with a focus on Women's Economic Empowerment.

Our program empowers young women to step confidently into leadership roles, just like Stormy, who began as a Fellow, then a Young Woman of Toledo and is now serving on our Youth Board of Directors, and Lucy Harbick, a member of our 2024 Girls Hub class, following in her mentor's footstep. They both represented our organization, speaking about our Youth forum happening this Saturday, 10.12.24, at McMaster Center at TLCPL on WTOL 11 News.

We are Welcomer.

My name is Aileen Mendoza, and as I celebrate my one-year anniversary of employment at Women of Toledo, I’m filled with a deep sense of growth, empowerment, and gratitude. This year has been transformative not just for me but for the organization I’ve come to cherish.

Women of Toledo is more than just a workplace; it’s a community that brings together women from all backgrounds, meeting them wherever they are on their journey and empowering them to rise above their circumstances.

For May, we celebrated our community, especially our Asian Pacific Islander Heritage (AAPI) women leaders and individuals who called Toledo's home. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication as mentors, musicians, dancers, artists, community leaders, and global advocates fighting for other women's and girls' rights. We thank them for thier service.

Our AAPI individuals were featured in multiple program activities in May, including our HerHub Luncheon and Mentoring on the Moments. The impact? We successfully engage and serve 120 participants in all our program services this month.

 We are committed to celebrating our community through language, art, and history!

March 4 to March 9: We had a total of almost 600+ community members participating in various activities and experiences while educating, empowering, and engaging in advocating for gender parity and celebrating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The year theme of IWD for 2024 is #InspireInclusion. The campaign aims to collectively forge a more inclusive world for women. Click below to read the recap!

"I believe in people’s sense of control over the trajectory of their lives and being valued in the community, especially their sense of belonging. That’s the foundation that built our work. I chose to stay behind a mission to provide services and skills training to those who in turn provide services or products that aim to elevate the quality of lives of all humanity. I invite you to join us!" - Nina Corder, Women of Toledo, Managing Director

ith the support from our presenting partner, Taylor Automotive Family, and our program partners, Rotary Club Toledo, Toledo Lucas County Library, and the City of Toledo, we successfully hosted a Youth Forum to celebrate the year 2023 International Day of the Girl. We had a total of 43 attendees who were educated and empowered on human rights and breaking the gender digital divide. It was an amazing program and we are proud of our Young Women of Toledo. More photos coming soon on our social media! Our CALL TO ACTION includes an invitation for the first 25 Toledo community to be the first cohort of the Human Rights Education and become a certified Human Rights Advocate.

Women's Equality Day RECAP: On August 25th in conjunction with the National Equality Toledo, with the support of the City of Toledo Diversity & Inclusion Department, AAUW Toledo, partners, and our Advocacy Task Force, we organized our Annual Community Conversation and first-ever, Women's Townhall meeting with stakeholders and elected officials to discuss the Status of Women in our community! Almost 200 community members attended the program with over 25 leaders and organizations particpate as table facilitators.

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On Saturday, June 3, 2023, from 6 pm to 10 pm, in conjunction with Immigrant Heritage Month, LISC Toledo, Welcome TLC, and Women of Toledo will be presenting the 2nd Annual Multicultural Twilight Market (MTM) at the Toledo Farmer's Market. Open to all, MTM will offer family-friendly fun activities organized by the University of Toledo, Center of International Studies and Program, Other activities included music and performances from around the world including African drum, Middle Eastern dance, and Culture of Mexico through folkloric dance.

Supported by Clark Schaffer Hackett, PNC Bank, and Lucas County, we will have well over 80 vendors and businesses representing the BIPOC+, women+, and immigrant-owned small businesses in our ecosystem. Partnering with Jumpstart, City of Toledo Economic Development and Human Relations Commission, three businesses that participate in business development opportunities will be eligible to receive a mini-grant upon the voting session for People Choice's Award activity from 6 pm to 9 pm. The project is aimed to increase the visibility and opportunity to connect small businesses with available resources to sustain and grow their business while promoting a vibrant, diverse Toledo as a welcoming city and county.

The Northwest Ohio Women’s Business Council (WBC) announced its inaugural Women’s Entrepreneurial Distinction Ovation Award (WEDO) commences on May 4, 2023, in conjunction with National Small Business Month with the goal to promote, support, and celebrate women’s entrepreneurship in our community. It is WBC’s mission to recognize a diverse group of female entrepreneurs whose women-owned businesses have succeeded and contributed to our community's economic well-being.

We had 300 people in the audience from our region with 17 countries represented. And many more tuned in on social media LIVE stream! we thank you and value your support of the organization. Please know that your support truly offers hope to all women, young women, and girls that our organization will continue to serve by acknowledging, celebrating, and honoring their presence and value in our community.

MENTOR believes that Black lives matter, Black mentors matter, and Black mentees matter. During February, we join those across the country in recognizing Black History Month by celebrating the historic contributions of Black Americans, centering Black voices, and amplifying opportunities for greater equality and inclusion within the mentoring field. Meet our February Featured Mentors and Speakers! They are Leaders, Change-Makers, Champions of People, Influencers, Social Entrepreneurs, and more. Extraordinary women giving their time & talents to mentor others while paving their way to be one of our very own Black History in the Making!

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It’s National Mentoring Month! Each year, since its launch in 2002, National Mentoring Month has enjoyed the strong support of the president and the United States Congress. Read President Biden's proclaiming January 2023 as National Mentoring Month. National Mentoring Month is led by the National Mentoring Partnership and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. And other prominent individuals who have participated in this campaign include Maya Angelou, former President Bill Clinton, Clint Eastwood, Quincy Jones, Cal Ripken Jr., Bill Russell, and Usher.

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! As I sipped my cup of coffee on Thanksgiving morning, I was debating if I should click send our normal 4th Thursday #419newsletter campaign or take a leap of faith, and draft something new. Well, if this message is in your inbox, the guess is my intuition at overcoming the fear wins the challenge. It has been a while since I just wrote something 'from Nina's heart'. I hope your time reading my reflection on thanksgiving day is worth your while. Much appreciation to you all.

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We are excited to announce Nina’s sabbatical this Fall, starting September 12 till December 31, 2022, to begin her journey as a global humanitarian, perhaps completing her ‘unfinished’ research and publication, while serving as a Mentor to Global Leaders in Eastern Europe. The Governing Board, Stakeholders, and our team at Women of Toledo are in supporting and sharing the excitement with Nina.

The young women learned how to build their own chairs teaching them the significance of bringing your own seat to the table. Seeing the hard work of these young women, we are simply grateful for the partnership with the Imagination Station to display the chairs and portraits of our fearless builders. The exhibition is now open and we welcome you to stop by the Imagination Station to view the chairs and read their stories. 

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We are kicking off June with an awareness advocacy campaign for Immigrant Heritage & PRIDE Month. Immigrant Heritage Month: At Women of Toledo, we take pride in the diversity of women and youth we serve and continue to find ways to elevate and highlight and celebrate their cultural heritage.

The program also features the debut of the Northwest Ohio Women’s Business Council (WBC), the passage by Toledo City Council of a local Cities for CEDAW Ordinance, an exhibition of historical women entrepreneurs and special guest and keynote speaker, Dr. Soon-Young Yoon, the United Nations representative of the International Alliance of Women and author of the book Citizen of the World: Soon-Young and the UN.

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March 21 program also includes the announcement of Women of Toledo’s Economic Development new initiative, the Northwest Ohio Women's Business Council (WBC), and remarks from the Citizen of the World, Soon-Young, the U.N. Cities of CEDAW

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February is PACKED with programs for everyone. We kick off our Mentorship program on Thursday, 01.27.22 with 22 participants that interested in either serving as Mentors or participating as Mentees. 

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 New Partner: In October we also established a new partnership with TolHouse. HerHub members now have an exclusive membership pricing to "The Room Where it Happens". TolHouse enthusiastically welcomes members of HerHub to join their ecosystem of entrepreneurs, business people, and creative minds. 

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We are excited to welcome all these current & new mentors to our mentorship circle this Fall. They will be serving our Young Women and Women that are part of our Young Women Genius program (9th to 12th graders), Discovery (college and up), and M.oM (virtual) Mentorship session. Thank you for your time and talent to serve with us either in-person or virtual session this Fall!

On Thursday, August 26, women across the United States will be celebrating Women's Equality Day. This day was designated to commemorate the 1920 adoption of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing American women the right to vote. We celebrate women's progress while recognizing that more work still needs to be done.

6 -months Deliverables, Impact, and Outcomes for the organization with total served from Jan to June 2021 = 578 participants. We organized two in-person community cultural heritage advocacy campaigns including celebrations! 

All month long, you will find a blend of posts celebrating the achievements and contributions of amazing women in history and women in the Greater Toledo Area who are committed to making history. At WOT, our goals are always to nurture and support learning from the past and reflecting on the present to create a more equitable future.

HerHub prides itself on the diversity of membership within our support network, and continues to find ways not only to elevate, highlight and celebrate minority businesses but also decrease the network gap that exists among women of color businesses owners through events like this one! 

The City of Toledo's Human Relations Commission and the University of Toledo will be co-hosting the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on Monday, January 18th. Join us for a special virtual celebration featuring keynote speaker and author, Austin Channing Brown in celebration of Blackness and recognize the possibility of racial justice in organizations and communities. 

During the crisis, we pivoted and adapted to technology. In 2020, we organized a series of #419Women digital campaigns about Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Women’s Voters, featuring more than 58 local women stories that inspired others to take action. How have the challenges of 2020 altered the future of our organization? Answering that question requires that we first acknowledge some difficult truths that we have encountered during the pandemic.

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These women have been catalysts in the community for making change and impacting the lives they touch. We're truly proud to have these women as a part of #419Women and cherish their support. Thank you for sharing your stories, your passion, and dedication to the betterment of our community.

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For White women, Equal Pay was March 31, 2020. For Black women, Equal Pay is today, August 13, 2020. Approximately, an additional of 135 working days. Today marks the 225th day of 2020. With the wage gap between Black women and White men, Black women have to work approximately 225 additional days to equal the salary that her White, non-Hispanic, male colleague makes in 1 year. 

Let's be better, together, by standing for an equitable society and with those fighting for justice. Use this time for listening, learning while engaging in the discourse, and doing better as individuals and as a country. With the support of our current Partners, Mentors and Leaders in the community, we established a special Responsive Advocacy Task Force to help lead, support, and assist at educating, engaging, and empowering our female community (and HeForShe) pertaining to our current political and social issues. 

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Now, our Virtual Power Hour Series Session is our new ways of doing business at Women of Toledo. So far, we managed to organize 10 Power Hour series sessions every Tuesday and Thursday since March 24th. We maintained 119 participants for all sessions with average 15 attendees. We partnered with more than a dozen women speakers and experts from various field of business, human behavior, health & wellness, advocacy and mental healthcare to share their resources and knowledge with the group. More than 47% participants is new to the organization which tell us, despite social distancing our community still looking for an opportunity to connect and contribute.

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COVID-19: Important Announcement from Women of Toledo. Our Leadership team has been following the news about the coronavirus very closely, so we could make an informed decision for the safety of women and youth that we serve. Since most of our program activities are either hosted at a public venue and/or require social interaction, collectively, the leadership team has decided to follow the recent Executive Order. Hence, effective immediately through April 30th, we have decided to either cancel and/or postpone the majority of our face to face program activities to a later date.

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Knowing the difference between your passions and your purposes will help you get your life on the right track. Knowing what to put your time and energy into when it comes to your purpose will make having your passions all the more fun and focused. There’s always balance to life, and balance between passion and purpose makes life worthwhile. At Women of Toledo, sharing our time and talents as leaders is our passion, with a purpose to elevate the quality of lives for our community members.

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Hosted by Economic and Community Development Institute (ECDI), Women of Toledo join other partners at the Small Business Resource Day (SBRD) this Tuesday, October 29 from 4pm to 8pm! In addition, our Mentors on the Move will also be on-site to meet our Mentees and any other attendees for quick one-on-one Mentoring on the Moments (M.o.M) sessions.

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Our Women’s Connection program of InterConnections, serves women, youth and families that identify elements of intersection which includes Interracial, Interfaith and Intercultural in their lives.

We are your Mentors, friends, peer-support and local network that join the movement of local women supporting women. 

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Real Advice from Real Women in Real Time! 

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Mentorship: www.womenoftoledo.org/mentorship

On 05.28.19, we wrapped-up our monthly Speed Mentoring program for the season and we wanted to take this opportunity to say Thank You to all 83 of our Mentors for sharing their time and talents mentoring our 132 Mentees. 

On behalf of our Advisory Board, Community Partners, Supporters, Volunteers and Young Women & Women at Women of Toledo, we would like to thank you for being part of First Energy-Toledo Edison, Women's Leadership April - Lunch & Learn. Thank you for this opportunity for us to share our stories at Women of Toledo, the organization and ways that we impacted our community.

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What is Macaron Day? Inspired by the annual Jour du Macaron in Paris, in which free macarons are given out and proceeds are given to charity. The patrons of So Sweet will receive one free macaron in exchange for making a donation to Women of Toledo:  'NO WOMEN LEFT BEHIND' Initiatives Fund.

Women of Toledo believes we must acknowledge the progress we’ve made, recognizes what we’ve yet to accomplish, and to find purpose to keep moving forward by empowering ourselves and others. 

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14 countries were represented in the intercultural fashion show, demonstrated by 40 models of local women, men and children.  There were also performances by the Aegela Centers for Middle Eastern Dance, the Uni of Toledo’s Indian-Bollywood dance group, the Tiffin Uni. and a local Caribbean dance group. 

After two years, we have finally launched HerHub website!  Under Women of Toledo new initiatives with a focus on community building, HerHub will provides the greater Toledo community with listing of women-centered events, resources and organizations. HerHub mission is that women in the 419 can create stronger communities with HER in it.

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Steering Committee were established under Dr. Ardenia Jones Terry and Diane Reamer-Evans, Zonta Club Advocacy Committee. Our team, Nina Corder and Mickey Radtkin were invited to serve the Steering Committees with a purpose to review the recommended steps for Toledo becoming a CEDAW CITY.

Nina Corder's LOVE LETTERS TO TOLEDO. Sharing her immigrant heritage & women's community with blog Love Letters to Toledo. 

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No Women Left Behind Initiative offers any women, young women & Disconnected Youth with financial hardship within our Women's Connection Program to attend a Professional Educational Development series and Coaching services for FREE! In 2017, 93% of our participants had access to all of our programs and services for FREE!  

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Our LOVE story....the first WOT diversity strategy initiatives began in March 2013, where a group of eighteen women with active roles as community leaders in Greater Toledo met for a focus group discussion surrounding diversity in networking organizations. The objective of this initiative was to understand how to build a connecting hub for a diverse group of women.  

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Growing up, I often found myself in male-dominated spaces, where my voice felt stifled and my potential limited. This experience ignited a fire within me—a desire to change the narrative, not just for myself but for the next generation of girls. This is why I chose to work with the Women of Toledo.

As the Young Women of Toledo Girls Hub Instructor, I teach young girls how to use tools, and ultimately, they build a chair to bring their own seat to the table. During this process, I see a spark in their eyes—a mix of curiosity and empowerment. When they grasp a power drill or measure a piece of wood, it’s not just about learning a skill; it’s about breaking barriers and reshaping their identities. I want them to know that they can build, create, and lead regardless of societal expectations. 

Did you know? Toledo is a welcoming city! Part of our community efforts, we are part of Welcome Toledo-Lucas County, which is a regional initiative that fosters an inclusive and welcoming community for immigrants, refugees, and people of diverse backgrounds. Welcome TLC’s mission is to build a more welcoming and inclusive community for immigrants, refugees, and people of diverse cultures that supports a vibrant civic, economic, and social fabric for all. We joined our partners at Toledo Lucas County Library on September 14th for the Welcome TLC Welcoming Picnic!

We are Welcomer.

Other than helping reduce barriers that underrepresented and underserved small businesses and entrepreneurs often face to recover, grow, or start their businesses, Women of Toledo aims to strengthen our neighborhoods and community through the appreciation of racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity to encourage an inclusive and peaceful society. Together, we will raise awareness of the vital role that newcomers of immigrants, global talents, and diverse populations have played in building a strong and successful community and nation with strong economic empowerment.

Thank you Terry Crosby from the Taylor Automotive Family for stopping by our headquarters!

It was a delight reconnecting while gearing up for this year's Girls Hub Summer Program. We always cherish visits from our community members!

 MENTOR believes that Black lives matter, Black mentors matter, and Black mentees matter. Last week 02.22.24, we joined those across the country in recognizing Black History Month by celebrating the historic contributions of Black Americans, centering Black voices, and amplifying opportunities for greater equality and inclusion within the mentoring field. Thank you to 16 women leaders and mentors who served 25 mentees during our speed mentoring with over 400 connections in 2-hour sessions. We are simply grateful for all these extraordinary women giving their time & and talents to mentor others while paving their way to be one of our very own Black History in the Making! As we wrap up February, remember Black History is NOT only for 29 days this year.

Wishing everyone in our community a nourishing holiday season.

At times when a lot is going on in the world and our lives, we have duties to recognize when many of our community and family might be struggling under the weight of the world crisis. We are acknowledging and recognizing the struggle and suffering, and please know.

We see You.

We hear You.

We are here with You.

And you and your family, near or far, do Matter.  

We continue to be mindful, present, and connected as a diverse collective of individuals that span identities, cultures, and geographies. Above all, we chose to be human.

Guess what? Our Girls Hub Instructor, Julia LaBay, is now also our curator for the "Seat at the Table".

The insulation includes a portraits exhibition, chairs, and a plaque focusing on the stories of our diverse Girls Hub’s Builders while examining how art can activate ideas for both the maker and the audience. The impact of this installation provides people with ways to think critically about different approaches to activism and how you can use your own voice to build your own seat at the table. For the Builders- it just elevates their confidence and empowerment to the next level.

This Fall, we had the opportunity to launch the first exhibition at our Annual Women's Equality Day, followed by a display at the 2023 Ohio Women's Leadership Summit organized by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown at the Glass City Center. Then, a window pop-up exhibition at the Franklin Park Mall.

In conjunction with the International Day of the Girls, the exhibition is now on display at the Downtown Toledo Lucas County Library. We invite everyone to come and view the art and read our Builder's stories.

Our Program Services and activities this season (August to December) include advocacy forums, monthly global roundtables, and circle sessions for the legacy group, HeforShe, and Young Women of Toledo, with a Special Edition Speed Mentoring session in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month. And planning is on its way for the Intercultural Global Gala featuring fashion around the world this Fall too. Mark your calendar today!

How do you 'walk the walk' when you have to pick and choose what matter to our community this month? How can we continue to meet our community where they are, how & when they want it? And What do we need to do to continue to thrive as Welcoming City and support our community's sense of belonging? Our first answer is to Collaborate! Then, we find ways to fill the gap on 'causes' that align with our mission/vision, therefore you end up with a little bit of everything. And, we successfully meet our goal to continue to thrive at providing inclusive and welcoming space to all! Other than our monthly program and services, we hope you enjoy what we put together this month as part of our community awareness and advocacy effort!

Appointment of new Associate Director, Sierra Ortiz! Women of Toledo's newest position to the organization. 

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"As a Toledo native, I have found the area to be filled with inspired and passionate women striving to make the city a better place for all minority community members. I have found immense joy in engaging with change-makers, doers, and groups dedicated to the betterment of Toledo as a whole. I take pride in making meaningful connections, encouraging growth, entrepreneurship, and reminding people of their value. I have always admired Women of Toledo’s mission of educating, engaging, and empowering women to find their passions, hone their skills and abilities to live a life that makes them proud, and be a source of light in the world, and our community." - Sierra Ortiz

It’s Women's History Month! According to the Library of Congress, Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. For us, BHM is not only a celebration of history and the past but also celebrates the present and the future. We believe that we must nurture and support the goal of learning from the past and reflecting on the present to create a more equitable future. And it should be celebrated every day, all year long.

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Using our 3E organizational model to educate, engage, and empower, our mission is to create sustainable solutions that elevate the quality of life, diversity and improve economic empowerment in the communities in which we live, work, play and raise a family. And with this mission and most recent, 2022-at- a-glance impact, we are on track to reach 10,000 women and youth by the year 2024  (10 years). With heartfelt, thank you for your continuing support, and for inspiring us to reach this goal.

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On behalf of our Board of Directors, Partners, and Supporters of Women of Toledo, we would like to thank you for attending and supporting our 2022 HeForShe Forum organized by our organization and our Young Women of Toledo/Girls Hub group. A total of 67 individuals attended the gathering and participated in this year's forum. Thank you to Shyam Suchak, our 2022 Chairperson of HeForShe for Emcee and supporting our team in organizing this with us.

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On behalf of our Board of Directors, Partners, and Supporters of Women of Toledo, we would like to thank you for attending and supporting our 2022 Northwest Ohio Women's Equality Day. A total of 201 people attended the gathering and participated in the table discussions. By doing so, we experience and engage with each other in a dialogue that increases our collective awareness of what is happening in women’s lives, STAY FURIOUS to BUILD POWER, while discussing solutions and strategies we can create to enhance women’s rights in the United States.

Our Builders and Apprentices not only learn how to use the power tools and build their own chairs but they were also exposed themselves to the STEAM field. They got connected and met Mentors from Constructions, Engineering, and local Artists while learning about representation, power, and social change. We have exciting news! We are collaborating with Imagination Station. All the chairs will be on display at the Imagination Station starting in July. 

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Toledo - we join the movement of the Fearless Builder Girls everywhere. We introduce you to YWOT 'Girls Hub' which offered a dedicated workspace in design and construction, through classes in carpentry, architecture, and civic art for young women ages 12 to 18. Girls Hub is supported by our mentor’s circle and women leaders from local STEM groups, Women in Constructions, Manufacturing, Engineering, Arts, and women’s Architects. 

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We are the City of CEDAW.  City Council will vote and sign CEDAW, also known as the Bill of Rights for Women (globally). REF: O-095-22 Enacting a new Toledo Municipal Code Chapter 183, Local Implementation of the United Nations Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (“CEDAW”). 

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In celebration of International Women’s Day, Women of Toledo (WOT) is hosting a luncheon on Tuesday, March 8th, 2022, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Toledo Museum of Arts, Glass Pavilion. The International Women’s Day Luncheon will feature a panel speaker, #BreakTheBias, with four women from different parts of the globe as immigrants, first-generation and global travelers, who now call Toledo home. 

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Check out the highlights of the year 2021 Impact by the number for Women of Toledo. We have exciting news to share! Our Program Team- Nina Corder and Kristina ElSayed are now GrowthWheel® Certified Business Advisor.  GrowthWheel® is a visual toolbox and cloud-based platform used by business advisors to help client companies make decisions and take action with a 360° view.

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Women of Toledo are joining forces with PINKK NOW, Chicago to cast a wide net of experience, mentorship, and networking with mentors and women’s leaders across the country. Speed mentoring is a fast-paced evening of meeting up with multiple mentors and having the opportunity to inquire about your questions with amazing leadership!

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More than 45 members of women-owned businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs attended this session. We are also delighted City of Toledo's Economic Development Commissioner, Sandy Spang, joined us and shared 3-tips to help businesses scale up to the next levels during her opening remarks. 

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The best women's golfers from the United States and Europe will compete in Toledo at Inverness Club over Labor Day weekend. We are less than 32 days away from the biggest international sporting event in the United States--right here in Toledo! 

We are kicking off May with an awareness advocacy campaign for the Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI/AHM). In the United States, the month of May each year is celebrated as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. 

With gratitude, we thank you Toledo community and loyal readers of the Toledo City Paper for the nomination and our winning as the Runner-Up of 2020 Best of Toledo for community categories under the charity/nonprofit.  We look forward to staying vigilant in our efforts to continue educating, engaging, and empowering our women and youth in our community. 

In the month of January, our organization successfully served 53 community members through our weekly program and one-on-one sessions.

We are simply grateful to start 2021 strong, able to continue providing opportunities and visibility for our female community to lean in for support, to connect with other women, and build resources via zoom.

Changing our calendars from 2020 to 2021 will not magically make the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges disappear, but it will end eventually. Success might look different for our organization in 2020, but our heart is filled with hope and gratitude.  We are so grateful for all the sacrifices that you have made this year to support and serve others.

Year-To-Date:

We served 927 participants and offered more than 45 various programs and services. Looking at crises as opportunities, we continued serving and connecting in a way that’s effective for our community - We learned to meet them where they're at,  what and when they need it. 

We are kicking off September by celebrating the diversity of our community! Welcoming Week 2020 takes place on September 12-20. And Hispanic Heritage Month takes place on September 15- October 15. Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the U.S. for more than 40 years. Hispanics across the country celebrate this month with pride while commemorating the importance of diversity. The Hispanic month is important to preserve our culture and heritage because it keeps our integrity as people.  Traditions are passed from generation to generation, values and family are the roots of Hispanic culture.

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Network Gap is not new, and certainly not for our community. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified this gap, disproportionately impacting female communities that were already facing barriers in the workplace and marketplace. This means that networking will become even more important as people look for new jobs, and opportunities to grow their business.

Now, do you Know? At Women of Toledo, we strategically align all our  programs and services to also implement integrated solutions that respond to complex development challenges and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There are 17 interrelated goals that represent an ambitious agenda to achieve a sustainable future by 2030. WOT has a role to play in all of them, with a focus on the seven highlighted here.   

23 Days... It has been 23 days since schools were closed due to this ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Then, on March 22, we received the announcement that Ohio will be under a "Stay at Home" order effective March 23. We are on Day-15. And recently, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio's Stay at Home order has been extended until May 1, 2020.  That's additional 25 days, totaling 40 days. Will that be it? We are pushing forward and continuing to serve our female community members to keep moving forward and empowered during COVID-19.

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In February, we celebrated Black History Month. It is a celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognition. We expanded our list beyond the historians and included our own local #419Women. For us, Black History Month is not only a celebration of history and the past, but also celebrates the present and the future. We believe that we must nurture and support the goal of learning from the past and reflecting on the present to create a more equitable future. This is black history in the making.

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Introducing our latest initiative, HerHub - an online platform that provides the greater Toledo community with women-centered events, local women-owned businesses, women’s groups and organizations. WOT as the conveyer, our goal is to reduce duplication and schedule conflicts among women's activities to enhance partnerships, activity attendance and funding. We are looking to strengthen local companies by connecting female employees to the right networking and professional development opportunities, as well as promote and support female-owned businesses.

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"The more I spoke about feminism, the more I realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop. For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. It is the theory of political, economic and social equality of the sexes" -Emma Watson's speech during the launch of the HeForShe UN Women's campaign in New York City, 2014

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 Say Goodbye to Summer...and say Hello to Fall. 🍁🍂 From the beginning, our team enjoys researching, listening, reflecting and developing program activities that are high in impact for social progress and the opportunity to improve the quality of life for our community members, especially our female members.

"I'd like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and wanted other people to be also free" - Rosa Parks

In April, we impacted our community  by organizing multiple women's gathering activities, while continuing to serve our women & youth in need of coaching, mentoring and peer-supporting through our Women's Connection Program.

The United for the Earth, a community event organized by Women of Toledo, the BGSU Environmental Communication Initiative, the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo (ICGT), and Project H.O.P.E. Equine Assisted Therapy, aims to enhance and extend environmental education and practice in Northwest Ohio, and promote cultural inclusivity and diversity as it intersects with environmental sustainability.

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The 2nd Annual Women’s Empowerment Summit in conjunction with Equal Pay on Saturday, April 6th at the Park Inn in Downtown Toledo. We are proud to announce this year's theme - Power for Progress!

Power for Progress will feature sessions that will nurture and support the goal of learning from the past, and reflecting on the present to create a more equitable future. Additionally, the summit will create awareness about and encourage support for the Equal Pay movement.

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Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 to fund-raise and raise awareness the day after Cyber Monday. We are so grateful for your donations and help in building awareness about Women of Toledo and our mission!

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Congratulations to our fearless Founding Member and Managing Director, Nina Corder! In Honor of Jim Knott, Nina was named this year's 2017-2018 Community Service Award  recipient at the BNI of Northwest Ohio 2018 Networking Night of Excellence.

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Partnering with Welcome Toledo- Lucas County, Women of Toledo is hosting a community picnic to recognize immigrant contributions to our communities.  Our goal for this community picnic is to bring together immigrants, refugees, expatriates and U.S.-born residents in a spirit of unity to build strong connections across the community and affirm the benefits of welcoming everyone – including new Americans.

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We are grateful to the Toledo Community Foundation Board of Trustees, staffs members and Community Funds for awarding us the grant to kick-off Discovery M.o.M Speed Mentoring sessions period August 2018-June 2019. 

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Our Summer Educational Initiatives program, Ramadan Exploration: Iftar Dinner Gathering, focuses on the breaking of the fast during the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan. Our program will provide educational opportunities, promoting a greater understanding of the Islamic faith. 

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Thank you to our Community Partner, Zobaida Falah with Cure Bar for the nomination to share our story and commitment at educating, empowering and engaging a diverse group of local women within Greater Toledo. 

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Congratulations to our Young Women of Toledo's Chairperson, Afreen Alvi for her accomplishments as one of 2018 NPD awardees. She will be recognized at the 30th Annual National Philanthropy Day® celebration on November 9, 2017.

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​On October 12, we hosted our Youth Forum in conjunction with International Day of the Girl, in partnership with the City of Toledo. Human Relations Commission and the Taylor Automotive Family, at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. This year’s forum focused on youth civic engagement and human rights education, with a mission to empower young people to safeguard their freedoms and create a just, equitable society. Together, we explored how our youth can shape their communities, advocate for their rights, and become the leaders of tomorrow. We have roughly 100 attendees representing youth ages 12-24 and very diverse adults representing the a very intergenerational communities in the audiences.

Women of Toledo are deeply rooted in the community and serve within the framework of taking the next step, of moving forward. In doing this work, we unite women from all backgrounds and empower them to rise and achieve their goals. I’m proud to be part of an organization that uplifts and supports those it serves and to work with founding members, Governing Board, both our Directors, Nina & Sierra and our staffs team.

Our whole team is passionate about creating meaningful and empowering spaces where connection, collaboration, networking, and mentorship opportunities flourish and we all contribute to the mission to educate, engage, and empower women and young women to keep moving forward. 

A huge thank you to all the partners, vendors, and attendees who made our Multicultural Twilight Market (MTM) an unforgettable night! MTM aims to increase the visibility and opportunity to connect small businesses with available resources to sustain and grow their business while promoting a vibrant, diverse Toledo Lucas County as a welcoming city and county. We successfully created a memorable evening celebrating community, culture, and commerce. We look forward to next year’s MTM and hope to see you all again! Check out the MTM album on Women of Toledo's Facebook, Like & Follow us (if you are not), and please share & tag someone you know.

This week, our Managing Director, Nina Corder, and Associate Director, Sierra Ortiz, packed their bags and headed to Dallas, Texas, for the Welcoming America #Interactive2024 conference.

Nina and Sierra joined the City-County Team of Welcome TLC team:

• Caryn Maloney, Commissioner, Human Relations Commission of Toledo, City of Toledo, Office of the Mayor

   

• Leigh Utley, Porgram Specialist, DEI of Lucas County Commissioners

   

• Mely Arribas-Douglas, Welcome TLC Specialist at the Toledo Lucas County Public Library

   

• Brittany Ford, Lead Consultant for LEAP (Expertise includes: Language Access, Immigrant + Refugee Integration, Workforce Development)

This annual training conference focuses on the successful practices in immigrant inclusion, spanning vital areas such as economic development and civic engagement. At the heart of the conference are diverse experts who lead sessions, sharing invaluable insights and strategies for creating inclusive communities.

We look forward to your leadership and governance as the organization continues to serve our women and youth to create sustainable solutions that elevate the quality of life, belonging and improve economic empowerment in the communities in which we live, work, play, and raise a family.

Thank you! Gracias! Merci! Salamat!

We were thrilled to have had nearly 200 supporters and friends join us at the Women of Toledo 2023 Intercultural Global Gala at the Garden Fundraiser last Saturday to help continue to support our mission to educate, engage, and empower. A heartfelt thank you to each of you ❤️

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With everyone's donations and support, we raised $19,500 to help us continue to serve 10,000 women and young girls in 10 years!

As many of you are aware, our Managing Director, Nina Corder is currently in the Far East serving as a Mentor for the Professional Fellows program funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Global Leaders Division, administered by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Nina was very excited to share how she had an opportunity to present our work, program logic model, and social progress imperative index with students and faculties at the National University of Mongolia, School of Social Sciences. In addition, Nina and Professional Fellow, Bolortuya piloted our Mentorship Circle with women of MOCCU Coop (Mongolian Confederation of Credit Unions) to elevate women's economic empowerment and leadership in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Stay tuned for more stories as Nina continues to her next destination, Hong Kong.

This summer the theme is '‘Build Their Own Seats at the Table’. Your seat is your identity and what you care about. The table is where decisions are made. So, we are teaching Young Women participants, known as 'Builders' to build and bring their seats to the table. An opportunity for the builders to use their voices and power tools to build their individual chair that represents their personal uniqueness while examining the value of identity, voice, and lived experience in civic spaces.

During each week in the month of June of 2022, 'builders' meet in person for hands-on training on how to use bigger power tools, such as the miter saw and band saw, with proper safety and guidance, to create their chair project. We also integrated activities and discussions about female leadership, confidence, STEAM careers, fear, bravery, and how to support each other as girls and women.

Young Women of Toledo’s Big Idea is a half-day youth summit on career readiness - #LeadHerWay. Featuring more than 20 professional women Mentors and Leaders in our community, today we will focus on you and your talents, interests, and dreams for the future.

The overall goal is to To Educate, Engage and Empower a diverse group of young women to explore career fields where they are under-represented.

In a tradition of French patisseries and celebrating the onset of Spring, So Sweet Pastries is celebrating Worldwide Macaron Day with free macarons while supporting a great cause, the No Women Left Behind Scholarship, initiatives funded under Women of Toledo on March 26, 2022, starting at 10 am while supplies last. Customers are encouraged to come and sample these delicious macarons, a delicate French sandwich cookie made from almond flour and joined together with a ganache, buttercream, or jam frosting filling.  Following in the footsteps of Paris, New York, Chicago – and our fourth year in Toledo history – Toledo and Ohio will celebrate the macaron!

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day annually celebrating women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. In celebration, Women of Toledo (WOT), presented by the Hiltons at Toledo Downtown and Dana, are organizing a luncheon on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The International Women’s Day Luncheon will feature a panel speaker, #EmbraceEquity in the workplace, marketplace, community, and family. The theme for 2023 is #EmbraceEquity with a focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA. 

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Check out our calendar and save your dates! We have so many wonderful upcoming programs and activities for our Economic Development and Mentorship Program this Winter and Spring. **Stay tuned for our Circle group schedule, Young Women Program, and Advocacy campaigns. If you're interested in partnering, supporting, and/or volunteering please, email us at info@womenoftoledo.org.

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#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. Today, November 29, 2022, join the movement and give - whether it’s some of your time, a donation, a gift, or the power of your voice in your local community. For #GivingTuesday, Women of Toledo has set a goal to raise $5,000  and we are asking YOU to be part of our Circle of Supporters. Our "Circle of Friends" Supporters help fund ALL of the Women of Toledo unrestricted program budget, including No Women Left Behind needs.

We closed out our program and services for quarter 3 with another record-breaking number. And we successfully recruited and kickoff our Fall Mentoring program with almost 20 mentors who actively serve a diverse group of mentees, entrepreneurs, and youth in our community.

Our team also actively engaged in community outreach with partners and companies in efforts to collaborate or create awareness on issues impacting our local immigrants, Youth & STEM, and gender equity.

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Presented by the Huntington Bank, Women of Toledo, and UToledo Eberly Center for Women to organize the 4th annual Northwest Ohio Women’s Equality Day celebration with a community dialogue on the theme: Stay Furious, Build Power.

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Now is the time to harness our fury into building power with other women and allies so that we can create solutions that work for us and reclaim our rights.

On behalf of our Board of Directors, Partners, and Supporters of Women of Toledo, we would like to thank you for attending and supporting our 2022 Art, Food & Fashion Appreciating Immigrants and Refugees (AFFAIRS) in conjunction with Immigrant Heritage Month. More than 150 people attended the celebration, and by doing so, are empowered on why it is important to preserve our cultural diversity and heritage.

As you know, Women of Toledo was built on bringing all groups of women together to ensure that they has access to the tools that they needed to build the lives that they dreamed of - no matter where they came from or how they ended up in Greater Toledo. We are so happy to be able to see each other in person again while still organize many of our talking circles virtually. Have you gotten involved yet? 

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On behalf of our Board of Directors, Partners, and Supporters of Women of Toledo, we would like to thank you for attending and supporting our 2022 International Women's Day (IWD) as we kick off Women's History Month. A total of 175 people attended the in-person luncheon, while more than 30 people tune on the zoom live stream of the program.

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WE LEARN TO RELEARN SO WE CAN SERVE BETTER: At our Task Team retreat in Feb, supported and facilitated by PI Expert, Sara Best with Real Good Ventures, we discovered that we are an 'Adapting Team'. Therefore, we all work well together when we see value in combining our individual strengths at work to help serve you, others, and our women/young women in our community! 

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The most significant lesson that 2021 has taught our team and the organization, is to have courage. Because of courage, we made it work for our team, the organization, and the community. For much of the world, charting the path during the pandemic and beyond is much harder than we thought. And, yes - we were reminded that adversity always has more to teach us, and with courage, we will continue growing, serving, and connecting in a way that’s effective to our community. 

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Saturday 09.25.2021, we gather for Welcoming Picnic at Swan Creek Preserve Metroparks. At the Welcoming Picnic, communities bring together immigrants, refugees, and long-time residents in a spirit of unity to build strong connections across the community and affirm the benefits of welcoming everyone – including new Americans.

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A total of 124 people attended the gathering and participated in the table discussions. By doing so, we experience and engage with each other in a dialogue that increases our collective awareness of what is happening in women’s lives, discusses solutions and strategies we can create to enhance women’s rights in the United States.

Post-session of Asian Heritage Month. More than 200 people attended the celebration, and by doing so, are empowered on why it is important to preserve our cultural diversity and heritage. 

In the month of March, we served:

• 119 attendees through our weekly circle program and WEE Int Women's Day.

• One-on-one General & Technical Assistance to 8 individuals and able to support these individuals with their needs.

• 7 sessions of one-on-one Mentoring.

Announcing our publication of the Year 2020 Impact Report (Annual Report) on how we stay vigilant to continue serving our community during COVID-19. We are simply grateful to our Circle of Supporters, Partners, and Corporate Sponsors for their continuous effort to support our mission, goals, and objective to help women and young women at educating, engaging, and empowering to keep moving forward. 

Announcing the Northwest Ohio Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program and we would like to invite you to become one of its inaugural mentees. The program is being jointly created by our organization, Women of Toledo, and two Toledo-area Chambers of Commerce: Toledo African American Chamber of Commerce, and the Northwest Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.  Joining forces will allow us to leverage our diverse talents and backgrounds to comprehensively support our entrepreneurs.

2020 has been a year – Covid-19, ups-and-downs in the economy, the unease of political and racial unrest. And in its unique moments, what did 2020 teach us? It was the importance of the humanities – our communities, families, friends, and individuals coming together with empathy, compassion, and courage

Partnering with Social Justice, Human Relations Commission for the City of Toledo, we kick-off What To Do and #MyRightsMyVoice campaigns starting Oct. 19 to Nov. 2. Together, we want to offer these aspirations in mind and showcase how #419Women choosing when it comes to their rights and voices.

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When the U.S. Constitution was written in 1787, women were not given equal standing with men. Do you know? One of the most fundamental rights in the United States—the right to vote—was only granted to women after a hard-fought campaign that lasted more than 70 years. Interested in learning more? We did the research and gather resources from Drexel University, Women100 campaign, our friends at National Organization Women (NOW) and Library of Congress. Click below to read Historical Context on Suffrage and Women’s Equality Day. Post-session here.

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As an organization that advocates for diversity & inclusion and inequality, now more than ever we need to be vigilant at supporting our black female community. Since economic advancement and marketplace inequality is part of the critical work of our organization, it is important that we support Black Women-Owned Businesses today, tomorrow, and every day after that, to promote long-term economic change.

419HerHub can connect you to women’s groups and organizations, local women's authors, as well as women-owned businesses through our directory listings. We want to continue to educate, engage, and empower our community in any capacity we can. With this one-stop online resources platform, we believe it will enhance our community by helping women find the right opportunities, networks, and resources for personal & professional connection and growth. 

Despite this setback, we are still committed to serving our community, especially our female community members, so that you can continue thrive in any aspect of your professional and personal lives. For more than 5 years, WOT has focused on our mission to help you keep moving forward. This enduring mission guides us as we closely monitor, assess and respond to covid-19. In response to the current situation, we’ve implemented our continuity plan to engage our female community.  We are proud to launch a new virtual learning and connecting space under our Women’s Connection and Educational Initiative Programs. 

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The first quarter of the year is always an exciting time for our team here at Women of Toledo. This is the season that our program task team shares our 2020 program schedule and begin conversations with our Program's Partners, Ambassadors & Supporters. We stay focused on our mission and engage in dialogues with many, many, many local businesses, especially women-owned businesses, for partnerships.

During various conversations with stakeholders and partners on what the organization would like to do in 2020, I have been asked this question - 'What does WOT want to be?'  Because of my curiosity, wanting to learn and understand better - I asked , " Elaborate'. What the organization wants to do is not nearly as important as what the organization wants to be. And the longer I reflected on this question and statement.... the more significant that it became.

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Our local Young Women of Toledo will be celebrating the #dayofthegirl this Saturday, 10.12.19, 10:30am at the Phoenicia, University of Toledo - Student Union. YWOT Big Idea: GIRLFORCE Unstoppable and Unscripted highlights the experiences of 4 local activists making a difference at home and abroad promoting diversity and inclusion.

We will never stop building and assessing the needs of the community and working to listen to their needs and wants, and build something they will love. We didn't realize how important it is to keep-up with needs of the ecosystem that continues to evolve and change. We stay strong on data & impact measurements, as we believe what gets measured, will get managed. 

We began our advocacy and created awareness on how important it was for our constituents to take action. We went a step further and consulted our friends at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) to draft a well-researched letter in support of Women of Toledo’s call to Toledo City Council to pass the Pay Equity Act.

Pay Equity Act:This important piece of legislation will help to close the pay gap that exists and persists as a result of potential employers asking job candidates about their previous salary history. Every person deserves to be offered compensation based on their skills and abilities, not what their previous employer paid them. The ordinance will help to close the pay gap that exists due to this discriminatory business practices.

Our Momentum Circle is a focus peer-networking group for a diverse women-owned businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups to connect, and grow their businesses.Women are increasingly harnessing their entrepreneurial spirit, and it is critical to encourage and support this behavior with focus to eliminate obstacles and facilitate growth of their businesses.

The future is exciting. Let's build a gender-balanced world. Balance is not a women's issue, it's a business issue. This Year’s Theme: The race is on for a gender-balanced boardroom, a gender-balanced government, gender-balanced media coverage, a gender-balance of employees, more gender-balance in wealth and gender-balanced sports coverage. Collective action and shared responsibility for driving a gender-balanced world is key.

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At first, I was embarrassed by my life situation. I could not keep a job, a car, or maintain friendships. I am young single mom, a minority, who grew up in a low-income neighborhood that is visible to others.

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WHY choose to volunteer with Women of Toledo? With the organization, you will also experience & learn how to work with others from different cultures, languages, age groups, and embrace others' differences. You will learn to connect with one another.

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 We have created spaces where girls, young women and women of many generations can interact and support each other. Creating intergenerational spaces, based on non-hierarchical and anti-oppression frameworks, allows for the emergence of transformational leadership that draws on the contributions of all generations.

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Our blog post aims to highlights our women community stories, storytellers, and advocacy efforts that consistent with our #pressforprogress campaign goals. We invite you to read and comments as we continue our efforts and pledged for #PressForProgress.

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Our mission is to promote diversity & inclusion for women in the Toledo area.  We strive for diversity on our Board, Community Partners, Circle of Supporters and are proud to have immigrants represented across our organization that are making an impact in Toledo.  As part of National Immigrant Heritage Month, we wanted to share with you some statistics about immigrants in Toledo.

Join us as we #PressforProgress 

WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT (WEE) POWER HOUR LUNCHEON.

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Catchup on our Archives here! 

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