The deadline to submit an application or nominate is Monday, April 3, 2023 at 11:45 p.m.
Pam McConnell will be remembered as a tireless advocate for women’s rights and social justice in the City of Toronto. She was a member of Toronto City Council from 1994 to 2017 and was the former Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Standing Committee on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government. She was the Champion for the City of Toronto’s Protégée Program, a mentorship program matching young women with City Councillors intending to increase women’s representation in electoral politics.
The Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership was created in 2018 in memory of the late Deputy Mayor, who passed away in the fall of 2017. Throughout her career, Pam McConnell was a social justice advocate and worked tirelessly to increase women’s participation in municipal government. She was the Champion for the City of Toronto’s Protégée Program, a mentorship program matching young women with City Councillors and City staff intending to increase women’s representation in electoral politics.
In an effort to honour Pam McConnell’s legacy the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) has collaborated with the Youth Development Unit to present this annual award. The award is open to young Toronto women, between the ages of 16 and 29, who demonstrate exceptional leadership, a commitment to social justice and inspire other young women.
Applications for the 2023 Pam McConnell Award will open March 3, 2023. Before you begin, we encourage you prepare your answers in another document. Please have the following information ready:
The Award is open to young women residing in the City of Toronto, between the ages of 16 and 29 upon the application deadline who:
We would like to extend a very gracious thank you to Heather Ann for her support and honoring the legacy of her mother, Pam McConnell.
Thank you to the Selection Committee which was comprised of Heather Ann McConnell, community leaders, members from the Toronto Youth Cabinet and City staff.
We are honored to acknowledge and congratulate the 2020 winners:
Wonton maker by day and space maker by night, her cackles can be heard from down the street. You can always find Hannia Cheng dancing wherever the music feels good. She is currently invested in social practice as a means of community care, creating agency, and building capacity. Hannia Cheng is the “lo ban” (Cantonese for “boss”) of Tea Base, a DIY community arts space tucked away in the basement of Chinatown Centre that opened up last year in January.
If you don’t see her in Chinatown, she’s probably riding her bike to a gig somewhere on stage performing/hosting/dancing/organizing/doing whatever she’s been hired to do.
Fatoumat Jikineh is a third year Nursing student at York University and a young mother. She is a co-founder and the vice president of the Gambian Canadian Youth Association and creator of Because I’m Honoured, a program for Muslim girls and young women aimed at promoting cultural and religious pride. She has a flexible and dynamic role within the communities that she serves. She is passionate about developing community through advocating for youth and children and empowering women. She believes in the power of unity, kindness and support enables any community to thrive even with limited resources, and she has experienced this first hand.
In her free time she works on developing her personal art business, volunteering, and spending time with family. Her dreams include becoming an obstetrician gynecologist and working to serve and empower women in less developed countries.
We would like to acknowledge our shortlisted candidates, who received a certificate for their outstanding work and achievements in 2020: