Are you ready for an evening of celebration, inspiration and hope?
At YWCA Toronto’s 2024 Women of Distinction Awards Gala on May 23, we will honour four remarkable women who are brave leaders in their fields, change-makers in our communities and committed champions of gender equity. The event also raises vital funds for our life-changing programs and services.
We invite you to get to know this year’s incredible Woman of Distinction award recipients!
Natasha Ferguson, Labour
Natasha "Nash" Ferguson is leading the charge to bring women into the construction industry. After experiencing sexism and racism in job interviews and on construction sites, she decided to blaze her own path. In 2018, Natasha became a general contractor and principal owner of Ethelfox Construct Group, the only full-service construction firm in Canada owned and operated by a woman. In 2021, she created A Women's Work (AWW), a non-profit organization that helps women achieve success in the trades through training, career placements and self-esteem programs. In two years, AWW has registered 450 women who are ready to begin their journey in trades.
We asked Nash about who inspired her, check out her response in this short video.
Jaspreet Gill, Advocacy & Social Justice
Jaspreet Gill, Executive Director of York Region Center for Community Safety (YRCCS), is not afraid to take a chance, especially when it means creating meaningful change. After hearing countless first-hand stories of abuse from the young women she taught, she made the life-altering decision to leave a successful post-secondary teaching career to support women fleeing violence. When YRCCS was experiencing funding difficulties, Jaspreet registered it as an independent non-profit organization. Jaspreet’s boldness and perseverance have meant that despite funding cuts, women in York Region facing intimate partner violence still have a place to go when they need help.
In this short video, Jaspreet shares more about her motivation to support women feeling violence.
Gillian Riley, Corporate Leadership
For more than 30 years, Gillian Riley, the current President and CEO of Tangerine Bank, has made it her mission to spark institutional change in the corporate world. Her efforts have been at the forefront of many initiatives, such as the Scotiabank Women Initiative, a program that empowers women-led businesses in Canada by providing them with crucial resources, and the Commercial Banking National Women's Group, a collective committed to promoting gender equity, diversity and inclusion within Scotiabank. Her work to ensure equitable hiring practices led to a marked increase in women leaders across Tangerine Bank, a subsidiary of Scotiabank, including on the Board of Directors. Through Gillian’s commitment to championing gender equity, diversity and inclusion, she is ensuring that all voices are heard, especially in the corporate sector.
In this short video, Gillian shares two of her key motivators.
Nadia Ladak, Young Woman of Distinction
Nadia Ladak is a bold and creative entrepreneur, and the co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Marlow. When a university project prompted her to create a product she was passionate about, she co-founded Marlow, a gender-inclusive, eco-friendly menstrual care brand offering the first lubricated tampon. Nadia has since raised $1 million in funding to fuel the brand’s growth, earning $400,000 in grants, including from the Entrepreneurship World Cup, the Canada Post Tales of Triumph contest and the Visa She’s Next Grant Program. Nadia sees her success as an opportunity to support future generations of women business leaders; she does this by volunteering to mentor high school-aged young women on entrepreneurship and advocating for the needs of women entrepreneurs through Startup Canada’s Women Advocacy Network.
In this short video, Nadia shares who inspired her journey to become an entrepreneur.
Read our 2024 Women of Distinction full bios.
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In 1981, YWCA Toronto hosted its first Women of Distinction Awards Gala and over the last 43 years we have honoured and welcomed 319 women into our Circle of Distinction.
Although our 2024 Women of Distinction Awards Gala is sold out, you can still help women and gender diverse people find emergency shelter, affordable housing, access employment and skills training, and a range of other programs and services to build thriving lives free from violence. Consider participating in our online silent auction and/or donating to YWCA Toronto!