Labrador West Status of Women Council
The Labrador West Status of Women Council began informally in 1974 when some women heard Iris Kirby, who was with the Secretary of State Department, speak about some of the issues raised by the Royal Commission on the Status of Women. After that, they began meeting in each other�s homes to discuss women�s issues.
These women�s interest and enthusiasm became further piqued in 1977, after attending workshop on women�s employment run by Barbara Doran and Marian Atkinson as part of a Canada Employment Centre project. After the workshop, more women were interested in forming a women�s group and the Labrador West Status of Women Council was officially formed in March of that year. The Council�s early projects focused on raising public awareness about women�s issues. They also became active in lobbying the provincial government to create a fair Matrimonial Property Act.
In 1980, the Labrador West Status of Women Council received sufficient funding to open a Women�s Centre in the Labrador Mall. A permanent home for the Women Centre was found in 1985. Over the years, the Labrador West Status of Women Council has had many successes, including ensuring women have played a role in the economic development of the area and drawing attention to women�s health issues.