Success Stories
Community Economic Development
Rural Women's Networking & Speaker Series
Lead: Community Futures Centre West
& Communities Development Society
Cochrane, Alberta
Completed March 2008
Women in rural areas feel the need to be connected to other women both on a personal and professional basis. Fifty two percent of women attending the Annual Bragg Creek Women’s Conference April 2006 reported they felt the need for increased networking. Networking will allow women to build upon the assets already existing in their communities and inspires them to discover new opportunities, passions and interests. Rural communities are rich and complex networks of social relationships. Regardless of the nature of these relationships, communication and information are essential to the formulation and the maintenance of the social web that we call community.
This project is exploring a wide range of important issues with a focus on personal, professional development of women, their businesses and their communities, thus creating opportunities for networking, business contacts, developing new relationships and engaging in their communities by becoming community champions. By offering this opportunity to new women moving to rural communities the project aims to decrease the feeling of isolation felt by many women who live and work in rural areas. This project will help women connect to each other by building a community of rural women who will share their skills and expertise with other rural women
Project Highlights:
- Partner in the Bragg Creek Women's conference since 2006
- Five speaker events hosted in Cochrane and area
- Two full day seminars hosted in partnership with Carstairs and Airdrie
- Partnered in 2 small business fairs in Bearspaw
Want to read more? Click on the link below:
For more project information contact:
Jodie Eckert, Community Economic Development Coordinator
Community Futures Centre West
jeckert@cfcwest.com