Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre

Established in 1982, Riverdale Immigrant Women’s Centre (RIWC) is a community based registered charity founded with a mission to empower racialized, immigrant and refugee women and their families. RIWC delivers its services through a holistic and integrated service framework that addresses the social, cultural and economic determinants of healthy and vibrant immigrant communities. RIWC achieves its mission through the delivery of the following settlement, anti-violence and employment support programs:

Violence Against Women and Children (1993) Anti-Violence Youth Program (2004) Post-Secondary Placement Program (1998) Essential Pathways to Employment Program (2006) Food Service and Hospitality Training Program (2018) Seniors’ Digital Literacy and Wellness Programs (2021)

RIWC primarily supports vulnerable racialized and newcomer women from across Toronto with significant and intersecting barriers to employment and economic security. These barriers include settlement challenges, low literacy and language skills, social cultural barriers, and lack of Canadian work experience. Our programs are delivered from an anti-oppression and GBA+ (Gender Based Analysis) framework of practice to address how women, men, and gender diverse people experience policies, programs and new initiatives in our community.

To take into account the diverse needs of our community, we collaborate with an extensive network of community partner agencies, ranging from small community-based groups, local schools, and the private sector to all levels of government to address and bring about gender equality and equity.