Membership Terms & Conditions
Women in Urbanism Canada (WIUC) is a nationally incorporated not-for-profit membership organization. Our members receive the direct benefits of our services and contribute to the organization’s legal governance structure, which is defined by the organization’s Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.
WIUC has two Tiers of members, with Tier One (Engaged) members being Full Voting Members of the corporation, and Tier Two (Supportive) members that are Not-Voting Members. Both of which are subject to the following terms and conditions as they relate to each Tier. Read through our list of terms and definitions below.
Criteria: WIUC membership shall be available to individuals who meet the following criteria:
Have an interest in city policies and programs that contribute to positive outcomes for women, girls, and others; and
Live in, or have a strong connection to Canada
Application: Prospective members are required to complete the pre- and post- member application forms and provide the associated membership fees.
Approval: WIUC’s Board of Directors review member applications on a regular basis and may deny an individual to become a member if there are reasonable grounds to do so.
Term Length: The term of membership is annual and will be renewed if:
The member pays required membership fees; and
The membership has not been terminated in accordance with WIUC’s By-Laws.
Transferability: Membership is not transferable between individuals and may only be transferred to the Organization. At the discretion of the Board, a Membership can be transferred from the Organization back to another person, if there are compelling reasons to do so.
Legal Meetings of Members: WIUC members are encouraged to participate in informal meetings and gatherings that advance our shared goals and strengthen our collective impact. In addition to these informal meetings provided as part of membership benefits, there are two types of formal, legal Meetings of Members that all Full Voting Members have the right to receive notice of, attend, and vote at:
Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place within 60 - 120 days of the end of each fiscal year (December 31). At the AGM, members approve the financial statements, elect representatives to the Board, and vote on other key governance decisions, such as By-Law amendments.
Special General Meetings (SGM) may be called to discuss or vote on corporate resolutions related to governance.
Voting: Every Full Voting Member is entitled to one vote per Membership. Voting can take place at a Members’ Meeting or by absentee voting (e-mail or proxy). To pass, a motion must receive a majority vote in favour.
Membership Dues: Members pay annual dues in the amount approved by the Board of Directors. Members are notified in writing and must pay within three calendar months.
Termination: Members may voluntarily resign from WIUC at any time. If a corporation is dissolved, fails to maintain the criteria for membership, or fails to pay dues as outlined above, its membership will be terminated. Members may also be expelled or suspended if such a motion is approved by the membership. This may be for violating the terms of membership or for conduct that is detrimental to our shared objectives.
Conflict of Interest: Members are required to disclose when there is a potential conflict of interest between themselves and WIUC. This should be disclosed to the Chair(s) who will bring the issue to the Board of Directors for a resolution. Given the nature of the non-profit funding landscape, competing in open funding calls will not be considered a conflict of interest, though collaboration and coordination is certainly encouraged.
Confidentiality: Confidential information about WIUC or other members, or intellectual property (information or files) shared as a benefit of membership, should not be transmitted beyond the WIUC membership without express permission secured in advance.
Privacy: Personal information provided as part of the membership registration process is used for the sole purposes of membership management and networking. Only the information a member voluntarily chooses to share will be accessible for networking purposes, in adherence with community guidelines. All member information is managed and stored via MemberSpace and Community Box and is not shared with any third parties.
Mutual Indemnification: Members shall not be held answerable or responsible for any act, default, obligation, or liability of WIUC or for any engagement, claim, payment, loss, injury, transaction, or matter relating to or connected with WIUC. WIUC will not be responsible for the actions of members that occur outside the context of a WIUC sanctioned activity.
2026 - 2028 Strategic Plan
Prepared by: CP Planning’s Cheryll Case and Raquel Caldito
Approved by: Women in Urbanism Canada’s Board of Directors
Approval date: Approved
Contents
1.0 Introduction 2
1.1 Message from our Board Chair 2
2.0 About Us 3
3.0 Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Indigenization, Inclusion, and Accessibility (JEDIIA) 4
4.0 Organizational Approach 5
4.1 Mission 5
4.2 Vision 5
4.3 Core Values and Principles 5
5.0 Strategic Directions 6
5.1 Promote Collective Learning 6
5.2 Strengthen Shared Power and Influence 7
5.3 Advance Gender-Equitable Urban Change 7
5.4 Embed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Governance 7
5.5 Build Sustainable Funding and Operational Capacity 8
6.0 Conclusion 8
1.0 Introduction
Throughout 2025, Women in Urbanism Canada’s (WiUC) Board of Directors and staff undertook a participatory and collaborative process to shape this Strategic Plan. The process brought together members, partners, and interested parties from across Canada to reflect on the organization’s purpose, role, and direction. Through consultation, surveys, and workshops, this plan was co-created to help guide WiUC’s growth and development over the next three years.
1.1 Message from the Chair
Thank you to our board and staff for their active participation in this year-long process, to our members and partners for providing valuable insights into the many ways our organization can increase its collective impact, and to CP Planning for guiding us through the development of our inaugural Strategic Plan. What we heard through this engagement process was the urgent need for our organization to continue growing and addressing the many inequities that women, girls, and gender-diverse people face in cities across the country.
We are committed to continuing this important work through promoting collective learning, strengthening shared power and influence, and advancing positive urban change. These strategic directions will be grounded in equitable governance practices and sustainable operational capacity, to ensure the organization grows with care.
Since I started dreaming of WiUC—eight whole years ago—I knew that an organization like this had incredible potential to meaningfully advance gender equity in cities. While we recognize the significant amount of work still to do, and the seemingly infinite ways for us to do it, it is very exciting for us to finally have a clear path outlined in this Strategic Plan.
(signature + headshot)
- Nicole Roach, Co-Founder & Chair
2.0 About Us
WiUC emerged from a growing recognition that cities across Canada have not been built with everyone in mind. Despite Canada’s reputation as a progressive country, gender inequality remains deeply embedded in the design, governance, and experience of our urban environments.
The idea for WiUC came in 2018, drawing inspiration from a book called Change of Plans: Towards a Non-Sexist Sustainable City, and by feminist urbanist movements around the world, particularly the work of Women in Urbanism Aotearoa, based in New Zealand.
In 2021, background work began, and in early 2022, the organization was publicly launched. Early efforts to raise awareness for gender equity in cities revealed that there was a clear gap in Canada’s urbanist discourse for this kind of content, and the organization received an overwhelmingly positive response from urbanists across the globe—predictably, from women, and surprisingly, from men too.
The organization continued to build momentum through popular blogs, social media posts, and a monthly newsletter, and began taking steps to grow the team. WiUC welcomed the founding Board of Directors later that year, and officially incorporated as a national not-for-profit organization in January 2023. Soon after that, the volunteer-led team launched a membership program, hosted a series of workshops, and continued to produce and distribute educational content across digital platforms.
In 2024, the organization reached a significant milestone, receiving a capacity building grant from Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Women’s Capacity Fund. This funding enabled the Board of Directors to hire staff, develop core strategies and policies, undergo training, and improve the visual and language accessibility of the organization’s website.
What began as a blog to share ideas and connect with others, has grown into an incredible women-led and gender-inclusive community of changemakers, all working collectively to create more gender-equitable cities across Canada.
3.0 Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Indigenization, Inclusion, and Accessibility (JEDIIA)
At WiUC, JEDIIA is a framework of how we exist, how we lead, and how we build community.
We are a values-based, woman-led, and gender-inclusive organization grounded in the belief that cities must reflect the people who live in them. This means challenging systemic barriers, redistributing power, and actively creating space for those who have been historically excluded from urban decision-making, especially Indigenous, Black, racialized, queer, disabled, immigrant, youth, and elder communities.
Our commitment to JEDIIA shows up in the way we:
Lead with care, curiosity, and accountability;
Share power across our staff, board, and membership;
Embed equity into our internal culture, not just our external work;
Stay grounded in the realities of colonization, racism, and urban injustice, and in the possibilities of collective transformation.
JEDIIA guides how we set priorities, share power, partner with others, design programs, and measure impact. This way, our governance and our work remain accountable to the communities and lived realities that we aim to serve. We are not here to simply represent diversity—we are here to transform structures, build true belonging, and model the just, inclusive cities we envision. This starts with how we show up as an organization.
We recognize that this is an ongoing journey. We commit to listening deeply, learning continuously, and acting with intention, because justice, equity, and inclusion must be lived, not just named.
4.0 Organizational Approach
4.1 Mission
Our mission is to raise the collective impact of women, girls, and gender-diverse people by advancing intersectional feminist design principles through raising awareness, exchanging knowledge, and mobilizing a national network.
4.2 Vision
Canadian cities shaped by the lived realities of all gender-marginalized people, leading to inclusive communities for all.
4.3 Core Values and Principles
WiUC is guided by a shared belief that cities should be designed, governed, and experienced in ways that reflect equity, joy, and sustainability. These values ground our work and define our ideals as an organization to shape how we collaborate, advocate, and act. While our core values guide our beliefs, our principles define how we translate them into our approach and everyday practices.
Core Values
Our core values reflect the foundation of WiUC and how we believe cities should be designed, governed, and experienced.
Equitable: We believe cities must be built with a commitment to intersectionality in order to advance equity for everyone. Equitable cities honour justice, diversity, Indigenization, inclusion, and accessibility, ensuring that spaces are reflective of diverse lived experiences.
Enjoyable: We believe cities should spark joy and create a sense of belonging. Enjoyable cities prioritize health, happiness, beauty, and safety, so that everyone can feel empowered to form meaningful relationships, communities, and connections.
Sustainable: We believe a livable future depends on cities that grow sustainably, which requires collective action for climate mitigation, adaptation, emergency preparedness, and resilience. Sustainable development must care for the environment, while also meeting people’s health, social, and economic needs.
Guiding Principles
Our principles reflect the spirit of how WiUC works and leads change for women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
Caring for every woman with empathy and respect for their lived experiences.
Amplifying the voices, stories, and knowledge of women by sharing resources to make information more accessible.
Collaborating with individuals and organizations in the design and implementation of coordinated efforts towards meaningful urban change.
Connecting women to networks and opportunities to mobilize a collective voice to improve communities.
5.0 Strategic Directions
The Strategic Directions set out how WiUC will advance its mission and values over the next three years.
Over this term, WiUC will strengthen shared learning by creating accessible spaces to exchange tools, stories, and best practices; translate that knowledge into collective power by mobilizing members and partners to speak with a more unified voice; and support tangible shifts in policy, practice, and public narratives through targeted initiatives that advance gender-equitable urban change. This pathway will be enabled through equity-informed governance practices and sustainable operational capacity—both of which are essential foundations to enable WiUC to continue advancing its mission in a tangible way.
5.1 Promote Collective Learning
WiUC will create collaborative spaces to share expertise, exchange best practices, and advance accessible learning that supports positive urban change.
By 2028, WiUC aims to:
Host and co-host gatherings that build solidarity and support learning.
Leverage our expertise and networks to amplify resources and tools.
5.2 Strengthen Shared Power and Influence
WiUC will build and mobilize a national network of women and gender-diverse urbanists to strengthen their influence in planning, policy, and urban design.
By 2028, WiUC aims to:
Grow and mobilize our membership network to address shared challenges to gender-equitable city building.
Expand our reach and strengthen collective solidarity, belonging, and connection amongst members and collaborators.
Increase the visibility and uptake of feminist urbanism in decision-making through communications, coordinated messages at key policy moments, and practical tools for local action.
5.3 Advance Gender-Equitable Urban Change
WiUC will lead and support initiatives that reimagine mobility, housing, and public spaces through a gender-equity lens.
By 2028, WiUC aims to:
Lead and co-lead gender-equitable city-building projects.
Support organizations and individuals to apply a gender-equity lens to positive urban change.
Collect and share data, stories, and insights to help define and guide gender-equity in cities.
5.4 Embed Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Governance
WiUC will embed JEDIIA into all aspects of our work and culture.
By 2028, WiUC aims to:
Align internal operations with our JEDIIA framework to support inclusive decision-making and transparent accountability.
Strengthen organizational and community care practices that support retention and create leadership opportunities for staff, volunteers, and members.
Engage diverse participation in governance and program design to ensure our work reflects lived experiences.
5.5 Build Sustainable Funding and Operational Capacity
WiUC will build a strong and resilient foundation that supports mission-aligned work and long-term sustainability.
By 2028, WiUC aims to:
Track and communicate outcomes to demonstrate WiUC’s value to members, partners, and funders.
Secure project-based revenue through grants, sponsorships, and partnerships.
Strengthen reliable revenue through a stable and growing membership base, individual donations, and philanthropic support.
Explore and grow revenue through fee-for-service offerings aligned with our mission and expertise.
6.0 Conclusion
The Strategic Plan outlines a clear path for WiUC to advance the organization’s mission in a meaningful and sustainable way, while ensuring equity is at the core of this growth. WiUC sincerely thanks all of the supporters who have helped the organization get to this point, and is excited to welcome new and longtime supporters alike to take part in this next chapter of creating gender-equitable cities together.
Keep up with WiUC’s work by subscribing to the newsletter, following the social media channels, and becoming a member. Stay tuned for Annual Impact Reports to track organization progress on the strategic priorities.
This Strategic Plan was made possible thanks to funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Women’s Capacity Fund.