Riveters' Ontario
Riveters Ontario is a group that empowers young women and offers a secure space to discuss women’s issues and personal growth. The inspiration behind the group’s name comes from Rosie the Riveter, a World War II campaign. The group’s formation was sparked by the pandemic, as young women aged 13-18 were missing the social interaction of extracurricular activities and community engagement. Riveters Ontario’s primary aim is to promote leadership and philanthropy among young women. The group has expanded from 10-12 members to over 100 members across multiple schools and has brought joy to many people in the community.
Riveters Ontario’s first initiative was a menstrual drive, which was done in partnership with Bleed the North. The school community contributed over 13,000 menstrual products and raised over $1000 in monetary donations. All donations were given to Feed the Need Durham, Simcoe Hall, women’s shelters, tent cities and to other menstruators who cannot afford products. The menstrual drive initiative has been an ongoing success since its inception and has grown in impact each year, with over 25,000 menstrual products collected and thousands of dollars raised annually. Riveters Ontario has also collaborated with Inspire Always and Million Dollar Smiles to fulfill the wishes of terminally ill youth. They ran a campaign with Durham Victim Services on human trafficking, putting up educational posters in local hotels and motels with resources and support for victims of human trafficking. In December of this year the Austin unit, made homemade Christmas cards for the elderly in retirement homes. The All Saints’ unit gave donations of night wear and teddy bears to Bethesda Women’s shelter in Bowmanville. Each unit meets every week to participate in self-improvement workshops, discussions, and to plan future initiatives.
Riveters' Ontario's Long Term Goal
Riveters Ontario’s long-term goal is to continue growing the group and raising awareness of women’s issues in their community. The group is proud of the progress they have made and hopes to see similar groups like the Riveters in all schools throughout the province. The moderators of the group are so incredibly proud of how far the girls have come and where they are going to go. As one of the teacher moderators, would say, “we give the girls the tools and the voice to make their ideas into a reality.”
