We’re super excited this week to chat with Western Because I am a Girl! We are all about women supporting women at HCWO, and we love what Western BIG seeks to accomplish.
Who are you and what role do you play with Western BIG?
Carina Chan: My name is Carina and I am a third year Medical Science student. I am the president of Western Because I am a Girl (Western BIG). I, along with the three other girls, are the cofounders of Western BIG.
Anmoal Gill: My name’s Anmoal Gill and I’m a third year Medical Science student. I’m VP Events for Western BIG and I got involved with Western BIG in second year when my friends and I decided we’d start our own club at Western!
Tehzeen Dhanji: My name is Tehzeen and I’m a third year Medical Science Student at Western. My role with Western BIG is cofounder and VP Communications.
Cindy Nguyen: My name is Cindy Nguyen, I am a third year Medical Science Student at Western and my role with Western BIG is cofounder and VP Events.
Tell us more about your group.
Western Because I am a Girl is a Western-affiliated non-profit organization that aims to fundraise for the Because I am a Girl organization. We promote girl/women empowerment and aim to raise awareness about The Girl Issue developing countries face.
What is your favorite thing about working with Western BIG?
Carina Chan: I think my favorite thing about working with Western BIG is getting to work with children in the London community. I love attending the gender equality workshops that EGLS (a division of Rotaract Western) conducts at various elementary schools. Working and getting to know the kids is what I look forward to!
Anmoal Gill: Western BIG showcases to me how easy it is to make a difference. It’s an opportunity for me to come together with my friends, raise awareness and hold fun events that contribute to a greater cause. The first year has been a huge learning experience, and I can’t wait to take what we’ve learned this year and grow the club and take it to the next level in the years to come.
Tehzeen Dhanji: My favorite thing about working with Western BIG is not only to raise awareness of the organization and its mission, but to teach young girls and boys about the importance of gender equality, and also to listen to their impressive ideas, feelings and thoughts on the topic!
Cindy Nguyen: My favorite thing about working with Western BIG is getting the opportunity to come together with my friends and make a difference in a serious problem that we are all passionate about. It’s great to work alongside such great and like-minded people to try and give girls all around the world the opportunities that we too often take for granted here.
Where do the proceeds from your events go?
All proceeds from our events go towards the Because I am a Girl organization as well as Plan Canada.
How long has Western BIG been on campus/how did it get started here?
This is Western BIG’s first year as an active club! Western BIG began as a group of four girls discussing wanting to start a club that stood for something they really believed in. When the organization Because I am a Girl was brought up we immediately fell in love with the idea. The prospect of being able to make a difference in the lives of young girls around the world while bringing the important discussion of gender equality to our fellow peers at Western had us all really excited. From there we began organizing this club. We hope to expand the Western BIG team next year by recruiting members with a genuine interest in supporting women and gender equality.
Tell us more about your upcoming events!
Western BIG will be holding an art auction at Locomotive Espresso on March 19th, 2017 from 1-3pm. It will feature Western student artwork that will be auctioned off. 50% of proceeds go towards Because I am a Girl and the other 50% go to the artist.
How is Western BIG reaching out to the London and Western communities?
Western BIG reaches out to the London and Western community to promote awareness for gender equality in various ways. We have collaborated with EGLS, a division of Rotaract Western, to host gender equality workshops in elementary schools throughout London. We also have booths around Western campus to not only raise money for the cause but also promote the mission of our club and inform Western students on the serious gender inequality taking place around the world. Western BIG has also reached out to various women’s shelters to try and lend a helping hand. The goal of our outreach events is to promote understanding and discussion on gender equality in people of all ages. We hope to inspire people to join the fight for global gender equality.