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Pair of Surrey awards events celebrate women and their work in the community

Champions of Change and Shakti awards are both held this week
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Winners of the 2020 Shakti Awards at Bollywood Banquet Hall in Surrey. The 2023 awards event will also be held there this Saturday, March 25, 2023. (File photo)

Two award events in Surrey this week will recognize women for their work in the community.

Up first is the third annual Surrey Women’s Centre Champions of Change Awards, Thursday (March 23) at Civic Hotel, followed on Saturday night (March 25) by another Shakti Awards Gala at Bollywood Banquet Hall.

Both events celebrate International Women’s Day, and award winners were announced ahead of time.

The Champions of Change Awards are an important recognition of community members who are greatly advancing gender equity and human rights, event planners say. “This year we are recognizing six individuals and one organization who have demonstrated an incredible commitment to creating a gender-equitable world.”

The award winners are Christine LaLiberte and Donna Balfour (Philanthropic Leaders), and the four Community Leaders of Angela Marie MacDougall, Fay Blaney, Fraser Health Authority Forensic Nursing Program and Sonia Andhi.

“We will also be honoring a survivor for her resilient journey at this year’s awards,” noted Shahnaz Rahman, executive director of Surrey Women’s Centre.

Attendance is by invitation only.

Bios of the six Champions of Change award winners are posted at the bottom of this story.

Meantime, Shakti Society’s awards event saw “an extraordinary array of women” nominated in many categories by peers, family and friends, according to Sonia Andhi, founder of Shakti Awards. “These women are active in the community, they are role models in their category and have consistently demonstrated the spirit of Shakti.”

Sixteen women are given Shakti Awards this year, including Raminder Dosanjh (Lifetime Achievement Award), Gail Stromquist (Indigenous Inspirational Leader), Jatinder Kaur Bir (Academic Award of Excellence), Sarb Lidder (Athletic Achievement), Saje Brar (Athletic Award of Excellence), Huma Shoaib (Artistic Award of Excellence), Shubha Chaudhury (Business Award), Harp Sohal (Business Award of Excellence), Sunita Dhir (Community Service), Josephine Chauhan (Community Service Award of Excellence), Juggy Sihota (Corporate Award of Excellence), Bushra Ahsan (Entrepreneurial Achievement), Rajbir Grewal (Entrepreneurial Award of Excellence), Jasmine Kaur (Media Award), Tarannum Thind (Media Award of Excellence) and Harnaaz Grewal (Resilience).

For tickets to the Shakti Awards, call Sonia at 604-307-8796 or purchase via e-transfer to shaktisociety2000@gmail.com. Details about the organization are found on shaktisociety.com.

• RELATED: 7 Surrey Women in Business award winners named at sold-out luncheon for 450.

Here are the bios for the Champions of Change Awards, as submitted by Surrey Women’s Centre.

Champions of Change — Philanthropic Leaders

Christine LaLiberte

“Christine LaLiberte is a champion of women’s rights and empowerment, who has left an indelible mark on the community. She has created a legacy by launching the first-ever matching gift campaign for the Surrey Women’s Centre’s Jane Doe Legal Clinic and supporting the SMART program, helping vulnerable women access emergency resources. We are recognizing Christine for her leadership and dedication to creating opportunities for women.”

Donna Balfour

“Donna Balfour is a powerful force in the fight for women’s equality, especially for those who are more likely to be marginalized. As a Founding Mother of the Surrey Mobile Response Team (SMART), Donna was instrumental in making SMART a reality, a ground-breaking service that supports the most vulnerable women and girls in Surrey and beyond. We are recognizing Donna as a Champion of Change for the way she has transformed Surrey Women’s Centre’s services and programs.”

Champions of Change — Community Leaders

Angela Marie MacDougall

“Angela Marie MacDougall is currently the Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support Services and since the nineties, she’s developed training curricula from a decolonizing and intersectional feminist framework for community-based organizations, systems players, universities and in the larger public sphere. Angela is being recognized for her three decades of leadership role in community-based organizing, supporting frontline work, and activism in challenging social inequities.”

Fay Blaney

“Fay Blaney is a Xwemalhkwu woman of the Northern Coast Salish. She is deeply committed to issues affecting Indigenous women. This year we are recognizing Fay Blaney for devoting her heart and soul to fearlessly fighting for the rights of Indigenous women. We are recognizing Fay as a Champion of Change for her unwavering commitment to resisting the harm colonization, capitalism and patriarchy has on Indigenous communities.”

Fraser Health Authority Forensic Nursing Program

“Fraser Health’s Forensic Nursing Service is being recognized for their 30-year commitment to providing compassionate medical care to survivors of sexual and relationship violence. For survivors, navigating the medical system can be another barrier to overcome but the forensic nursing service dismantles barriers by being accessible, trauma-informed and culturally competent to all survivors. Through our SMART program, Surrey Women’s Centre has had the privilege of partnering with this amazing team to ensure all survivors receive equitable care.”

Sonia Andhi

“Sonia Andhi is a recipient of a Champion of Change award because of her empowerment work through the Shakti Awards. She founded the Shakti Awards to address the issues of family violence and empowerment of women. Since 2000, the awards have honored nearly 150 girls and women. Sonia is a hero behind the scenes of these awards and we are delighted to celebrate her contributions to the community.”



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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