Overview : who are we?

The Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FFANE) is a provincial non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the personal and social development of Acadian, Francophone and French-speaking women in Nova Scotia.

The FFANE is the only organization representing Acadian, Francophone and French-speaking women in Nova Scotia. Its vision is to fully contribute to the development of the Acadian and Francophone community of Nova Scotia.

We operate in the following sectors :

Culture • Communication and technology • Rights and services in French • Economy and education

Our projects and activities

This project covers a series of initiatives :

  • the renewal the FFANE’s membership through the development of a youth committee, recruitment of young women for various activities within the organisation, and the creation of two seats on the FFANE’s board of directors reserved for youth between the ages of 14 and 25
  • the development and management of a social entreprise by the youth committee in order to raise awareness of women’s security and economic prosperity. The social entreprise has been launched, and is currently selling an agenda fully developed and marketed by the young women in the committee : ffane.boutique
  • a study, rooted in a Gender Based Analysis +  (GBA+) framework, on the situation of French-speaking women within the province. This study has bee published and can be found here (French only)
  • various activities to further support and reinforce the FFANE’s organizational structure.

To find more information about this project (only available in French), please visit : www.ffane.ca/projets/filles-et-femmes-en-action/

Through this project, the FFANE is working to break the isolation of Francophone caregivers in Nova Scotia.
 
In partnership with the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne (AFFC), the Réseau Santé Nouvelle-Écosse (RSNÉ), the Regroupement des aînés de la Nouvelle-Écosse (RANE), the Fédération des parents de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FPANE) and the community centers of the different Acadian regions of the province, the FFANE set up a provincial working committee contributing to the improvement of the situation of Francophone and Acadian caregivers in Nova Scotia.
 
This project has also included the following initiatives :
  • development of an updated French Caregivers Handbook (Guide de la personne aidante)
  • realization of interviews with caregivers in different regions of the province, to learn more and share the reality of what it is to be an Acadian and/or Francophone caregiver 
  • creation of twenty-two (22) short resource videos, which share small techniques to help manage difficult situations that can come up as a caregiver
  • presentation of the Pauses mieux-être, monthly online meetups where present and past caregivers can spend some moments together and exchange about their experiences around a central topic

For more information about this project (only available in French), please consult : www.ffane.ca/projets/personnes-aidantes/

This three year project (2021-2024) is funded through the Women’s Program of Women and Gender Equality Canada.

The FFANE is, in close collaboration with a committee of partners across the province, adapting the the YWCA/Institute for Gender and the Economy Feminist Economic Recovery Plan to the reality of Francophone and Acadian women in Nova Scotia, with a Francophone lens representative of the province’s rural-urban duality. This plan will then be implemented at the provincial and regional levels, informed and supported by the expertise and rich experience of stakeholders.
 
The Relance féministe solidaire in Nova Scotia will reduce the negative effects of the pandemic on the economic status of Francophone and Acadian women, increase women’s access to positions of decision making and influence, and ensure the inclusion of the Francophone and Acadian women’s perspective in the provincial recovery. This project is working to dismantle some of the systemic barriers that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
This 5-year project (2020 to 2025) is within the scope of the FFANE’s partnership with the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne (AFFC) at the national level, and is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
 
There are three main aspects to this project :
  • supporting the AFFC in the completion of a pan-Canadian research project aimed at better identifying the needs of Francophone women newly arrived in Canada. The final report can be found on the AFFC’s website. 
  • co-creating with the AFFC and other francophone women’s organisations around the country, a capacity building plan for Francophone settlement services and immigration networks to work on including a gendered lens in their work
  • implementing the capacity building plan and collaborating to develop tools and training guides to better facilitate integration and inclusion of immigrant women within the francophone communities of Nova Scotia

The FFANE has a variety of other activities that take place throughout the year, often connected to important dates relating to women’s rights and advocacy on various issues. 

This includes International women’s rights day, the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, women’s history month and many others. Check our website and social media channels regularly to keep up to date! 

Mission

We work towards ensuring that French-speaking women in the province flourish and actualize themselves in all spheres of their lives, and participate fully and actively in society in the province of Nova Scotia.

Vision

Acadian and Francophone women in Nova Scotia are thriving and fully participating in all sectors of society. The FFANE strives to achieve organizational excellence by working collaboratively with women, groups and communities to ensure that Acadian and Francophone women in Nova Scotia are fulfilled and actualized in all areas of their lives, and are full and active participants in society.

with whom do we work ?

  • Any Acadian, Francophone or French-speaking woman in Nova Scotia who is interested in the development of women and who agrees to abide by the constitution and by-laws of the Association.
  • Any francophone women’s association adhering to the goals of the Association

Mandate

 

  • Promote the interests of Acadian and Francophone women in Nova Scotia
  • Encourage the strategic participation of Acadian and Francophone women in the social, political and economic spheres of Nova Scotia
  • Promote opportunities for Acadian and Francophone women to meet and exchange with one another
  • Provide support to all membership groups
  • Promote the establishment of training programs for Acadian and Francophone wome
  • Establish partnerships, strategic alliances and networking
  • Value and facilitate the contributions of Acadian and Francophone women in the province
  • Act as a spokesperson for Acadian and Francophone women at a provincial and national level
  • Promote Acadian culture and the French language in Nova Scotia

 

SPECIFIC GOALS

  • Promote opportunities for women in Nova Scotia to exchange, collaborate and breakdown isolation.
  • Encourage communication and mobilization of women in the province at the local, regional and provincial levels.
  • Serve as a link between the various resources available and the groups that need them.
  • Work towards the advancement and increase in self-confidence of Acadian and Francophone women.
  • Act as a spokesperson on issues affecting women in the province, in accordance with the priorities of the Association