Participants are calling the 2nd Biennial Womens’ Conference a great success. One hundred delegates, guests, officers and staff attended the conference March 7th to 9th in Vancouver.

The conference theme, “Women Helping Women” set the stage for activities and discussion focusing on how to make a difference for women who exist at the bottom of our social structure. Participants broke into four groups to experience first hand what its like to live in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side.

CEP women joined up with a group of disadvantaged women from the Downtown Eastside Womens’ Centre for a day trip to Burns Bog, the largest undeveloped urban landmass in North America, located south of Vancouver. Another group spent an afternoon and evening preparing and serving a meal to women at the WISH Drop-In Centre on Vancouver’s East Hastings Street. Yet another group worked in the Yukon Centre kitchen baking goodies for men and women at the centre’s housing units. The last group spent time sorting clothing, sewing blankets and preparing a meal at the Living Room Drop-Centre for mentally ill men and women.

The conference also featured workshops on “Cultural Awareness”, “Running for office”, “Being A Leader” and “Getting A Life”.