International Women’s Day

Published March 08, 2026

As March 8 marks International Women’s Day, we’re recognizing the leadership, contributions, and impact of women and gender-diverse people across the co-op housing ecosystem. International Women’s Day is a global opportunity to celebrate progress while also reflecting on the work still needed to advance equity, inclusion, and full participation in all areas of society, including housing. Here are some reflections from members of our Board of Directors.

April Ager-White

CHF Canada Board Director (Indigenous Communities)

How have women or gender-diverse leaders influenced or shaped your leadership journey?

I come from Oneida of the Thames First Nation, one of the six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. We are known as a matrilineal society, which means that we honour the women in our lives and follow the clan families of our mothers. Historically, Oneida women were very important in leadership — it is the women who are Clan mothers, a very significant decision-maker in our culture and government. Clan mothers are the matriarchal rulers who determine which men will become chiefs and then hold them accountable on how they will make decisions in the interest of the people and for the next seven generations.

My grandmother was a clan mother of special importance. At the time, one of the clan families had no one to take on that leadership role, so Gramma Susie Jamieson was ‘adopted’ into another clan to provide that leadership. My aunt Virginia Summers was the first woman to be elected Chief in 1966 (through the government-imposed electoral system of government). My mother Pauline Jamieson was a natural leader and was able to use those skills to help Indigenous people who were involved in the judicial system in southwestern Ontario.

All the women in my family before me most definitely influenced my leadership journey. From my childhood days, I always knew there was a family expectation that I would take on a leadership role in whatever I chose to do. Now, in my fifties, I am proud to offer the leadership that is needed in whatever way I can. To be a helper is one of the most important duties in a successful society.

I also want to honour the women that held the position of Indigenous Communities Director before me — Tina Stevens and Linda Campbell. Their belief in me is what inspired me to take on this role, and I humbly follow their footsteps on the path of the journey that they started with CHF Canada.

Cassia Kantrow

CHF Canada Board President (British Columbia / Yukon)

How have women or gender-diverse leaders influenced or shaped your leadership journey?

I was raised by strong women who lead with intention, integrity and co-operative values. These women led change in their communities and dedicated countless hours to the betterment of society, mostly within and at the governance helm of co-operatives. They still do. They modeled that being a woman never makes you less, and they fought hard for gender equality. They fixed cars, quilted, baked amazing cakes, renovated homes, built cabins, sewed, and never made themselves less when society expected them to. They gave me the gift of never questioning my place at the table, whether it’s in the boardroom or the kitchen, and I’m forever grateful.

What impact have you seen co-op housing have on women?

The co-operative as an organizational structure is an empowerment model with people at its core. Co-op housing provides the foundation people need to thrive. Census data from 2021 tells a story we already know, and too many of us have lived. More than 4/5ths of one parent families are led by women. Nearly 1/2 of those families experienced food insecurity with almost ¼ living below the poverty line in 2022. An affordable co-op home in a community is life-altering for these families, as it was for mine when my mother moved into a co-op in East Vancouver in 1979, and when my newborn baby and I moved into our co-op home in 2001.