There are many ways to get involved!
Home Security and Personal Safety Course
In October 2009, Qulliit partnered with the RCMP and the City of Iqaluit’s Public Safety committee to hold a Home Security and Personal Safety Awareness course for local women. The Anglican Church Parish Hall provided the venue and the course was offered free of charge to community members. Participants enjoyed a presentation led by the RCMP, which included many safety tips to help women keep themselves and their families safe. The course also provided advice on simple measures women can take to help keep their homes safe and secure. A resulting partnership was formed between Qulliit and the RCMP, with aspirations to hold this course in other communities in the approaching years.
Municipal Elections Forum
On September 10–11, 2009 Qulliit hosted a municipal elections forum leading up the Iqaluit municipal election. This was offered in partnership with the Government of Nunavut’s Women’s Secretariat as part of the “Women’s Voices in Leadership” joint initiative. With support from the City of Iqaluit, we were able to provide an opportunity to build on our successes from last year’s forum and support local women who were interested in running in the municipal election.
We were thrilled to learn that 3 of our participants were eventually elected to City Council in the October 2009 election, bringing the number of female Councillors in Iqaluit from one to four! Congratulations to all!
Help the Aged
During this past year (2009-2010), Qulliit partnered with the non-profit organization Help the Aged for a second year. An intern, Meaghan Marien, arrived in Iqaluit in November 2009 and stayed with us until the end of July 2009. During her time here, she was involved with the elders cooking program at the Elders Qamaq Centre, she worked with local elders towards the establishment of a Nunavut-wide Seniors Society, and was an active member of the Arnait Nipingit planning committee for our Women’s Leadership Summit that was held in Iqaluit in September 2010.