NANCY
RUTH
Since
her 20's, Nancy Ruth (C.M., M.A., D.Hum.L., LL.D., YWCA Women of Distinction
Award) has been a feminist "truth teller" and social activist,
and has run twice for the Ontario Provincial Legislature.
She
has been instrumental in co-founding organizations that work for women's
social change in Canada like the Charter of Rights Coalition, LEAF
[The Women's Legal Education and Action Fund] and The Canadian Women's
Foundation, a foundation specifically directed to supporting women and
girls in micro-enterprise and violence prevention.
She was a visionary
in the founding and development of the Women's Future Fund, a national
fund raising effort to replace governments funding of women's groups; and
in The Linden School, Toronto's first girl's school based on feminist pedagogy.
Nancy Ruth's co-mothered the "CoolWomen" website. “CoolWomen” is
Canada’s largest website for high schoolers, on the history and contribution
of women to Canada, with 40 to 100,000 hits a month (www.coolwomen.ca).
She has
sat on the Board of Directors of these and other organizations: The
Economic Council of Canada, The Canadian Centre for Arms Control,
The Canada-USA Fulbright Foundation, The Doctor's Hospital Foundation,
Mount Saint Vincent University, The LEAF Foundation, and The International
Institute of Concern for Public Health.
Nancy Ruth has given a powerful and eloquent voice to women in Ontario and Canada.
She has spoken extensively on the Charter, on the three-year moratorium on equality
rights in the law, on the inequities of the Meech Lake and the Charlottetown
Accords and on myriad issues concerning women, poverty, politics and economics.
She has a keen interest in feminist art and culture, music, education and spiritual
expression.
Nancy Ruth has been described as determined, outspoken, humourous, warm, dedicated,
loyal, talented, generous, committed, principled, a giver of strength, and a
model of purpose.