To all women working to make a positive contribution to society!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Today is a beautiful and meaningful occasion to pause and reflect upon the outstanding contribution women have made throughout history.  In Vaughan, we are committed to celebrating these important achievements and the strong leadership of remarkable women here at home and in communities around the world.” Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua

Formidable. Fearless. Feminine. Adjectives best used to describe some great women in our global community. On Tuesday, March 3^rd, 2020, Toronto Caribbean Newspaper was invited to be part of the City of Vaughan’s International Women’s Day Celebration. The efforts of the City of Vaughan to recognize the contribution of women were evident as you looked about the room. When I scanned the audience, I saw women of all cultures, religions and ethnicities celebrating the power that comes with being a woman.

Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua delivered an address that exalted women and their enduring role. As a monumental marker, the Mayor formally signed the Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity, making The City of Vaughan the first municipality in Canada to endorse the Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity. This initiative was developed by Electricity Human Resources Canada. The Accord is a public commitment by organizations to promote the values of diversity, equality and inclusion.

The closure of the formalities was the commencement of the inspiration. Guests were introduced to women who have made their mark in the global community, and continue to give back in their own individual ways.

We were first introduced to Mara Cataldi, a flourishing, creative spirit who wears many hats. Mara is the Organization Manager at L’Altra Italia, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to highlighting the Italian arts and culture. She also hosts Ora Qui, featured on Omni Television. Her show features local news, news from Italy, sports and local community events. Finally, she is the Director of Operations at the Italian Contemporary Film Festival, the largest Italian film festival outside Italy. ICFF uses the power of the moving image to both entertain and educate. She spoke vividly of her experiences in the business world. While not always easy, she pointed out the need to learn from both your negative and positive experiences.

It was wonderful to see young people getting involved. We were granted a poetic experience with a reading from author, poet, and performance artist Madeline Fiore. This young woman is both multifaceted and multitalented. She is skilled in: photography, public speaking, creative writing, poetry, and short films. I enjoyed the depth of her work, and her ability to draw emotion from the audience through her writing.

“I watched the ones I loved stripped away from me and move into the light. Who was I to know that at such a young age my mind would absorb this much? I followed my heart into the unknown and it brought me to places I could never imagine. Although I felt uncomfortable at first, there was a calming presence that filled the air and made me feel whole. Pieces of me ran away with the wind. For so long I had tried to preserve them, but then I realized I had to let go.” (Snippet from Madeline Fiore)

Finally, we had a chance to catch up on what was going on with Karen Mak, Co-Founder and CEO of dkstudio Architects Inc. Founded with her husband Dmtriy, dkstudio Architects now have three offices: one in Hong Kong, one in Vancouver, and here in Toronto. They were recently presented with the prestigious ACCE Asia Pacific Business Award, as well as being picked by Corporate Vision Magazine as the Best International Retail Design Company in Canada.

What a journey it has been for Karen. We learned of her time spent in Singapore and in Hong Kong. How exciting it was to work with established, luxury retail brands like: DKNY, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and Van Cleef. She spoke of the pride she felt when they won The Muse Design Award in 2019, Retail Design Awards 2018 Fixture of the Year, the God Award for Shop-in-shop, and the Best of Canada Office Interior Award in 2016.

Their most recent feat, One Piece a Day, an app created to help encourage and inspire everyone on the planet to pick up at least one piece of litter a day, and to refuse the use of plastic cups that are polluting our oceans, and destroying sea life.

It is unfortunate that COVID-19 has put a halt to the various Women Empowerment events throughout the city. It would be amazing to see what else our women across Toronto had in store for us.