OUR PURPOSE
OWN seeks to advance women in the law through community engagement and outreach, supporting the professional development of general members and by providing mentorship and networking opportunities tailored to women-identifying students. OWN adopts an intersectional approach in recognition that an individual’s experiences may be shaped by their membership in other equity-seeking groups. OWN is committed to centralizing and amplifying the voices of historically marginalized experiences of womanhood and is dedicated to creating a safe space for our vibrant membership.
MENTORSHIP
OWN will offer students an opportunity to engage with and access the advice of peers and alumnae in the legal profession.
INCLUSION
OWN shall take care to ensure that all club activities are inclusive and will uphold the standards set out in the Statement of Principles.
OWN’s purpose is grouped
into five core areas
NETWORKING
OWN shall facilitate relationship building between general members, members of the Osgoode community, alumnae and industry professionals.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
OWN shall bridge connections between OWN members and the community at large through various volunteer and fundraising initiatives.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
OWN shall organize skills development resources that offer both a practical benefit and increased marketability to potential employers.
OUR PRINCIPLES
OWN’s organizational mission is to support women-identifying law students. As part of this mission, OWN adopts an intersectional lens in recognition that the academic and professional experiences of some women-identifying law students may be shaped by their membership in other equity-seeking groups. To help achieve the objectives of valuing equity and enhancing diversity and inclusion with OWN, we have adopted the following Statement:
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No Discrimination:
OWN members acknowledge their obligation not to discriminate against any person with respect to all OWN programming, events and initiatives.
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Promote Diversity and Inclusion:
OWN shall encourage a culture of inclusion and diversity in order to maintain a culture of support and excellence;
OWN shall support strategies that prioritize diversity and inclusion through OWN programming, as well as cooperate and engage in any efforts of other equity-seeking groups at Osgoode Hall Law School (“Osgoode”) to advance equality, diversity and inclusion in the broader Osgoode community;
Social media campaigns or events in support of another equity seeking group at Osgoode shall adhere to the Diversity and Inclusion Communications SOP Guidelines for Social Media Communications involving Diversity and Inclusion.
In an effort to remove biases and improve equity, OWN will implement a blind application process for Executive and Junior Executive positions, where possible.
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Reconciliation:
OWN acknowledges the importance of understanding that Canada is home to home of three distinct legal orders: Common, Civil and Indigenous. Prior to every scheduled event, OWN shall read the York University land acknowledgement (see below).
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Empowerment of OWN Members:
As a group dedicated to supporting the Osgoode women population, OWN is committed to developing and operationalizing programming aimed at reducing barriers created by gender roles and unconscious bias through mentorship, networking, skills development and community engagement.
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Maintaining Confidentiality:
All OWN members are required to respect the confidentiality of personal and sensitive information that may have been entrusted to them in the course of fulfilling their duties in compliance with the Diversity and Inclusion Confidentiality Policy.
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Transparency:
In an effort to achieve transparency, OWN Executive shall abide by the Constitution in the course of fulfilling their duties.