The FMWC held its 99th anniversary AGM and scientific session in Calgary, Canada the weekend of September 23-24, 2023. A fantastic program entitled ‘Health Advocates: Creating Connections Synergizing Energies’ certainly energized all in attendance.
Dr. Kimberly Williams, a new to practice psychiatrist, is the new President and donned the Arnhem Medal as the badge of office. The Arnhem Medal dates back to the 1947 MWIA Congress in Amsterdam, where the Dutch Medical Women presented the medal to then FMWC President, Dr Margaret Owen. This was in thanks for the medical care given to future Queen Juliana who delivered her third daughter, Princess Margriet in 1943 at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.
The FMWC was the first MWIA organization to begin an annual HPV Prevention Week in 2017 and this year it is being held October 1-7. Visit www.CanadavsHPV.ca for details. In addition, the importance of prevention, screening and treatment of HPV-related cancers is discussed in a series of newsletters and webinars called Cancer Won’t Wait.
Catalysts for Change: Celebrating 100 Years of Medical Women in Canada will take place September 26-28, 2024, and all MWIA are welcome to join us. The FMWC is excited to announce a Scarf Competition for the centennial and we welcome any MWIA member to send in an entry by International Women’s Day in March 2024. Please contact Dr. Janet Dollin at jdollin@sympatico.ca for details. A book is being written for the centennial and should you wish to have your name in the book as a supporter, please visit www.fmwc.ca and hit donate.
Dr Shelley Ross
MWIA National Co-ordinator
Catalysts for Change: Celebrating 100 Years of Medical Women in Canada
The FMWC Past/Present/Future Scarf Contest
Seeking scarf designs:
The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) is and always has been an organization looking out for the wellbeing and advancement of women in medicine and the promotion of women’s health. We have a track record of being catalysts for change. Through education and advocacy, we have changed our communities, advanced women in medicine and improved women’s health. We are proud to be celebrating 100 years of courage and caring in 2024. The centenary celebration will be held at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, September 26-28, 2024.
As a part of our celebrations, we will be asking women in medicine to help us design a commemorative scarf that represents or symbolizes our accomplishments over the past 100 years.
We are beautiful, strong and creative, and our scarf will be soft and cozy while demonstrating this strength and beauty. The FMWC Past/Present/Future scarf will be a modal-silk blend, 26 x 78”, which will work as a soft wrap or scarf that can be worn proudly to any occasion. The modal fabric, made from beech fibre, is natural and strong as well as eco-friendly and sustainable. It speaks to our future. We are proud to be working with a Canadian woman artisan who will print our design onto this fabric.
The theme for the meeting and for the scarf is Catalysts for Change: Celebrating 100 Years of Women in Medicine. Past/Present/Future. The image may be symbolic or representative, abstract or realistic. Judging for this contest will be based on wearability, creativity and meaningfulness. We are seeking scarf designs from women in medicine who are interested in creating and sharing your work. The juried winning design will be printed on the fabric and sold at our September 2024 meeting. The winner will be announced and celebrated at the meeting. All submissions will be exhibited for this event.
All design submitters will be offered a year’s free membership in FMWC if not already members. (You may optionally donate this membership back to FMWC’s charitable arm, the Medical Women of Canada Foundation) The winner will have free attendance at the gala and the honor of having your painting as our commemorative scarf and highlighted in the centenary book.
Please send a high-resolution digital image, or a well-lit photo of your scarf design (3:1 scalable to 26 x 78”) to us on or before IWD March 8, 2024, to be considered for this contest.
Please contact me if you intend to submit and I will share further details. You will have access to a high resolution FMWC centennial logo and other branding as well as historical moments you might include in your design. Successful inclusion of these elements will be part of the judging.
Janet Dollin
jdollin@sympatico.ca