On behalf of the

Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network (BWCEN) and our Founding Patron the Honorable Marlene Jennings, we wish to extend to you a special invitation to join us at a Cocktail Reception marking International Women’s Day. Through this event, the BWCEN will also be recognizing the contributions of two extraordinary Canadian Women, Staff Sergeant Isobel Granger of the Ottawa Police Service(OPS) and Patricia Bebia Mawa, President of Planet Africa Group, whose vision, commitment and achievements are transforming Canadian society through leadership and service. The BWCEN International Women’s Day Awards will be held on: Thursday March 8, 2012

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Government Conference Centre

2 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario

(Colonel By Drive Entrance)

Free Admissions (Donations Accepted)

2012 BWCEN AWARDS

The 2012 BWCEN Awards will be presented in two categories:

The BWCEN Leadership Award will be presented to Patricia Bebia Mawa, a woman whose leadership, influence and achievements convey a legacy of success for Canadian women and whose body of work helps enrich the standard of success for women in all spheres of Canadian life. From her role as Host on DBN Television; as Managing Editor of Planet Africa Magazine; her award ‐winning efforts as Host and Producer of Planet Africa Television and as a Producer of the “Luminaries and Visionaries” Biography series; through to her establishment of the Crossover Mentorship Program, her legacy underscores how diversity in television and publishing, professional excellence and pioneering innovation and creativity can succeed in building communities, nations and a world inspired by opportunities and hope. The BWCEN Champion Award will be presented to Staff Sergeant Isobel Granger; an individual who has advocated on behalf of issues affecting women and whose hard work, excellence, professionalism and service has made a profound difference in the lives of women. From her role as the first black officer to join the ranks with the British South Africa Police in Zimbabwe and as the first

black female officer with the Ottawa Police Service; as a leader of a platoon; her supervision of the OPS Partner Assault Unit (Domestic Violence) and Diversity and Race Relations; through to her work delivering gender ‐based sexual violence training to UN personnel in peace operations, her lifelong commitment to empowering individuals – often with an emphasis on women of color – towards better lives and social change is truly extraordinary. The BWCEN hopes that the acknowledgment and recognition of women who are transforming the Canadian Society will act as a catalyst to engage, motivate and inspire young women to consider the role they can play in strengthening the civic fabric of Canada. The BWCEN is an Ottawa‐based network of active professionals, academics and entrepreneurs working to promulgate the contributions of women to Canadian Civil Society.

Your RSVP would be appreciated by 5:00pm (EST) Thursday March 1, 2012 to bwcenetwork@gmail.com

BWCEN 2012 International Women’s Day Invitation