Toronto International Women’s Day Celebrations on 9th March, 2019.

March 1, 2019

Life time Achievement Awards to Kathleen Wynne and Delores Lawrence!
Sylvie Stojanovski Rising Star!

Toronto (March 1, 2019) : Dancing Damsels Inc., an incorporated nonprofit multicultural organization for arts promotion and women empowerment, announced today, the winners of IWD Women Achiever Awards 2019. The Lifetime Achievement Awards for 2019 will be presented to Kathleen Wynne, the past Premier of Ontario, and Delores Lawrence, Founder, President and CEO of NHI Nursing & Homemakers Inc. Sylvie Stojanovski will be the IWD 2019 Rising Star Award Winner for Leadership in the Arts.

Other Award winners are:

Dr. Prema Vaidyanathan – (Pre-natal yoga teacher and Founder of the Etobicoke Fertility Centre and in medical practice in Canada for over 25 years specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. A firm believer in the integration of holistic Eastern practices with modern technological western medicine to combat daily stresses of life) .
Nova Bhattacharya – (President of the Toronto Arts Council and Founder of Nova Dance – Versatile and Experienced Choreographer, Dancer and Cultural Leader with over three decades in the pre-eminent Indian classical dance style of Bharatanatyam artform).
Lindsey Lickers – “Medicine Water Woman” (President and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto (NCCT), Multimedia artist, cultural facilitator and Indigenous community advocate) .
Thanadevi Mithradeva – (“Sangeetha Vidwan” – Disciple of “Padma Bhushan, Sangeetha Kalanidhi, Professor T.N. Krishnan, Sangeetha Kalanibuna and Professor M.S. Anantharaman” – Gold Medalist, prominent teacher, visionary and renowned performer in Carnatic music for over fifty years) Composer and Choreographer of orchestral pieces and music for several dance dramas.
Meena Chopra – (Visual artist and poet for over thirty years with an unbridled passion for words, space, colours and forms and believes that art is the best way to bring communities together on a common platform) Enthusiastic and thriving professional in advertising, marketing and media with intensive brand building experience for over twenty years.
Vanessa Vakharia – “The Math Guru” (Founder and Director of The Math Guru, a super cool boutique math and science studio in Toronto making math fun, stress-free and relatable for young kids and parents).
Deepa Sairam – (IT Manager at TD Bank, Folk, Bollywood Dancer & Teacher, Cultural Secretary at Telugu Association -Toronto, Dedicated Community Volunteer, Model and Homemaker serving the community at all levels and inspiring children and women to become empowered).

Kathleen Wynne, is the first female Premier of Ontario and Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. Wynne was the 25^th Premier of Ontario and currently the Member of Parliament for Don Valley West. A hardworking and dedicated community activist who was first elected to public office as a Toronto District School Board Trustee in the year 2000, Wynne was subsequently elected to the Provincial Legislature in 2003 where she served the province of Ontario in various cabinet posts as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Aboriginal Affairs. Wynne is being acknowledged and honored for her lifetime contribution to the community through her work.

Delores Lawrence, Founder, President and CEO of NHI Nursing & Homemakers Inc., a company that provides Health Care Services and case management that include medical, dental, nursing and home health care services. Under her stewardship she facilitates hospitals, long term care facilities and public and private medical/dental organizations/offices and home care clients with all necessary and accessible health care services and is the recipient of the coveted Canadian Consumers’ Choice Award for three consecutive years from 2007 to 2010. Delores A. Lawrence is being recognized for her lifetime contribution to the community through her work in Health Care.

Sylvie Stojanovski –is a Multidisciplinary artist, creative facilitator and project manager with a passion for community art making. Driven by her passion to educate, inspire and empower others to embrace their innate creativity, Stojanovski is a community builder at heart who actively leads art workshops, creator circles and networking nights and serves as the Director of Community Relations and Development for ARTSIDEOUT (University of Toronto Scarborough’s multidisciplinary arts festival).

The IWD Women Achiever Awards Gala, will be held on Saturday March 9, 2019 @ 2pm at Toronto City Hall Council Chambers located at 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2. The theme of the event is BALANCE FOR BETTER.

Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space, The Honorable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sports and Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility and Past Senator Hon. Dr. Asha Seth, are the invited Guests of Honor to grace the occasion along with other VIPs and dignitaries.

Fiercely vocal and internationally renowned champion for gender equality and women empowerment Almas Jiwani – the President of UN Women Canada National Committee and CEO of Frontier Canada Inc. will be the Keynote speaker of the event.

Formal award ceremony, international entertainments, unlimited finger foods and soft drinks, raffles, door prizes, vendors and a great evening of celebrating women. This is a FREE event by RSVP only. For registration visit https://www.ddshows.com/seat-booking.