CFUW got its start nationally in 1919, but it took a while for Ontario Clubs to realize they needed their own way to tackle provincial issues together. Following Quebec's lead — the first province to form a council — Ontario Council launched in 1978 as CFUW's second provincial council, and became officially incorporated in 2009.

It started as a volunteer-run, self-funded non-profit with one simple mission:

• Build friendship and cooperation among Ontario clubs.

• Coordinate advocacy and education that drives real change provincially and nationally.

• Give women the tools to lead and make a difference in their communities.

And membership is open: any non-partisan women's organization whose values line up with the Council's is welcome to join as a member Club.

The Council's real strength is its network of local Clubs across Ontario. Most members are women 50 and up, and the community offers real fellowship, engagement, and plenty of room to keep learning. At the same time, the Council is looking ahead — piloting new outreach initiatives aimed at students across the province.

Ontario Council doesn't just coordinate from the top — it gives local Club leaders the tools to be effective advocates right in their own backyards:

• The Advocacy Handbook: A practical guide to navigating municipal and provincial government, writing letters that get noticed, and landing meetings with local MPPs.

• The IPV Advocacy Toolkit: Ready-to-use resources, presentations, and templates to help Clubs raise awareness and push for change locally.

Both CFUW nationally and Ontario Council take an inclusive, modern approach to gender equity. The Council works to improve the status of “women in all their diversity,”which means:

Cisgender women, transgender women, genderqueer women, and two-spirit, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people who are woman-aligned.

That expansive, intersectional definition means the Council's advocacy for human rights, safety, and economic equality is for everyone who navigates the world as a woman.

Through the province-wide Speakers Series and regional events, CFUW Ontario Council brings in expert speakers on the issues that matter — food security, healthcare privatization, mental health, and how AI and the economy affect women differently. It's how members stay sharp, informed, and connected.

In 2024, Ontario Council adopted a new tagline that says it all: “Women Leading Change.”

Leadership, education, and action run through everything the Council does. By rallying local Club members and putting real research behind its asks, the Council has made some serious headway.

Ontario Council has built a strong reputation for its briefs, letters, and submissions to the provincial government. Here's what it's been pushing for:

•  Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) & Gender-Based Violence: Pushing the province to act on the IPV crisis, backing survivor-protection legislation, and arming local clubs to advocate in their own communities.

• Long-Term Care (LTC) Reform: Leading provincial campaigns for unannounced inspections, tougher care standards, and better alignment with the Canada Health Act.

• Seniors' Advocacy: Keeping the pressure on the province to fund an independent Seniors' Advocate for Ontario.

• Environmental Protection: Fighting to protect the Greenbelt, ban cosmetic pesticides, and get municipalities moving on climate action.

• Warming Centres & Vulnerable Populations: Championing life-saving supports for unsheltered and vulnerable people during extreme cold.

Membership is open to any non-partisan women's organization whose values align with the Council's. If that's you, we'd love to have your Club join us.

You'll be joining a network of local Clubs across Ontario, built on fellowship, community, and lifelong learning — mainly women 50 and up, plus growing student outreach initiatives popping up around the province.