About Our Club
Celebrating over 30 years in 2026, together we’re still learning and growing.
Women dedicated to advanced education, enjoying and contributing to lifelong learning in their community.
“Knowledge is growth – come GROW with us.”
Founded in 1995, CFUW Saanich Peninsula is dedicated to women’s and girls’ education and rights – and provides opportunities for Club members to socialize, educate, and advocate.
Governed by a volunteer Executive Committee, with members elected annual at the Annual General Meeting in May.
We provide scholarships and awards to young women in School District #63, at the University of Victoria, and Camosun College through our fund-raising efforts. CFUW Saanich Peninsula advocates on issues of education, health, human rights and social well-being for women and girls, and for our society. We initiate projects which benefit the local community, e.g. a forum on health care in the region, an information fair for seniors.
We are committed to enhancing our community through support for lifelong learning for women and girls locally and worldwide, through the power of women working together.
Purpose of Our Club
– To support the education of women and girls.
– To work to improve the status of women and economic quality.
– To promote human rights, public education, and social justice.
– To promote understanding, friendship, and support among women and within the larger community.
– To fund awards that support education and literacy.
– To stimulate interest in public affairs–in the political, social and cultural fields.
– To stimulate interest in public affairs–in the political, social and cultural fields.
Our Story – The Beginning
The remarkable industrial expansion that occurred after the beginning of the First World War opened up many opportunities for women. The increase of urban populations with its consequent industrial growth, led to opportunities for women in industry and in social work. At this time women were already well established in the teaching profession and entering medicine, law, journalism, nursing and social work in larger numbers.
Some of the leaders among university women in Canada had long dreamt of a national federation, but the effective impulse to found it came from Great Britain. Early in 1919, Dr. Winifred Cullis of Britain, who had spent time in Canada during the war years lecturing at Toronto University suggested that women in Canada might wish to organize a national federation so that Canada might become one of the first countries to join in the emerging International Federation of University Women. A similar suggestion came from Virginia Gildersleeve of the American Association of University Women to the effect that, while she hoped the Canadians would form their own federation, but that they might if they preferred, be allied with the American Association.
Canada’s response was immediate. In March 1919 at a conference of four of the leaders in university organizations – Mrs. J.A. Cooper, President of the Toronto Club, Mrs. R.F. McWilliams, President of the Winnipeg Club; Miss May Skinner, then representing Canada on the American Association’s committee on International Affairs; and Miss Laila Scott in Toronto it was decided to create the Canadian Federation of University Women.
CFUW is a non-partisan, voluntary, self-funded organization with 94 Clubs, located in every province across Canada. Since its founding in 1919, CFUW has been working to improve the status of women, and to promote human rights, public education, social justice, and peace.
