Advocacy for women's rights
We speak up for gender equality and social justice, and against violence, racism and sexism. When women could not yet raise their own voices, IMA spoke for them.
How we advocateVancouver, British Columbia · Est. 1973
Women standing with women, since 1973.
The India Mahila (Women's) Association of British Columbia is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit association. For more than five decades we have advocated for women's rights, supported women through hard times, and helped them learn, lead and belong.
EducateEnableEmpowerਵਿੱਦਿਆ · ਯੋਗਤਾ · ਖ਼ੁਦ-ਦਾਰ ਬਣਨਾ
Fifty-three years, built by volunteers
From potluck lunches to a lasting endowment for women's education.
IMA has never relied on government operating grants. Members raised the first hundred thousand dollars five and ten dollars at a time. Generous donors helped the fund grow from there.
1973Founded by five women in Vancouver
53Years of service, entirely volunteer-run
$500KHeld in two endowments with Vancouver Foundation
8Awards a year for women at KPU, VCC and Langara
What we do
Advocacy, support and education, rooted in community.
IMA was founded to develop the leadership and participation of women of South Asian descent in Canadian society. Today we welcome women of every background, religion, age and income.
Support and a circle of belonging
Volunteers offer emotional support, information and referrals to women facing abuse, and reach out to isolated and senior women. IMA is a sisterhood that is there in hard moments.
How we support women
Education, culture and leadership
Workshops build skills and confidence. Dance, drama and celebration open conversations that are hard to start any other way. Our awards help women into classrooms.
Programs and awardsRecently · October 23, 2026
Empower 2026: A Legacy of Empowerment
More than 500 members, families, sponsors and friends filled Fraserview Banquet Hall to celebrate fifty-three years of women supporting women. The evening honoured seven people whose generosity and courage have shaped IMA's work, and closed with the women of IMA performing Giddha, the folk dance that first brought our founders together.
Thank you to everyone who came, gave, sponsored and volunteered.
Digital souvenir
Read the Empower 2026 souvenir.
Messages from the founder, the story of IMA, the board and collective, award winners, the endowment story and members' reflections, in a flipbook you can page through on any device.
Watch · 50 years of IMA
Our 50th anniversary celebration.
In April 2024, hundreds of women filled Fraserview Banquet Hall to mark fifty years of IMA. Relive the evening on our YouTube channel.
Our story
A dance class that became a lifeline.
In 1973, many South Asian women in British Columbia were new to the country, often with little English and nowhere to turn. Five women created a warm, safe space through Giddha. When the music stopped, the conversations began.
Those five women, joining hands, are still our logo.
Be part of the next chapter
Three ways to stand with IMA.
Give
There are two ways to give. Donate to IMA to support our day-to-day work in the community, or donate to the IMA Endowment. A gift to the IMA Endowment Fund at Vancouver Foundation keeps funding awards for women, every year, permanently.
Volunteer
Help with education, victim support, events, research and policy, or programs for young women.
Join
Become a member and find a circle of women who share, support and lead together.
Moments
Across five decades of gatherings.
Follow IMA
See what we are up to between events.
Event photos, announcements and stories from our members, posted on our social channels.
About IMA
A grassroots association of women, for women.
India Mahila (Women's) Association of British Columbia (IMA) was established in 1973 to develop the leadership and participation of women of South Asian descent in Canadian society. We welcome women of all backgrounds, regardless of religion, race, socio-economic status or age.
Our Belief
IMA works to combat violence, racism, sexism and inequality. We believe in strengthening families by promoting the unifying aspects of our culture while challenging those that devalue women.
We are entirely volunteer-run and operate without operational funding. Every program, event and award exists because members give their time, their skills and their cooking.
Our mission
To be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of women across British Columbia.
We advocate for women's rights, foster gender equality, and provide support and resources to educate, enable and empower women to thrive in every part of life, and we celebrate their contributions.
Our vision
A future where every woman can live free from discrimination and violence, with the knowledge, skills and resources to reach her full potential and help shape a just and inclusive world.
Goals
Five commitments guide our work.
Empowerment
Giving women the knowledge, skills and resources to lead fulfilling lives and reach their goals.
Advocacy
Being a strong, vocal advocate for women's rights, gender equality, social justice and supportive public policy.
Education
Offering learning that supports women's personal and professional growth throughout life.
Community engagement
Raising awareness of women's issues in communities across British Columbia and building a supportive network.
Collaboration
Working with like-minded organizations, government agencies and individuals to extend our reach.
Values
How we work with women and with each other.
- Equality
- Every woman has the right to live free from discrimination and violence, with equal opportunity.
- Empathy
- Compassion and understanding shape a supportive space for women facing challenges.
- Inclusivity
- We welcome women from all backgrounds and cultures, and see diversity as strength.
- Integrity
- We act with honesty, transparency and ethical conduct.
- Resilience
- We help women overcome adversity and move forward with new strength.
- Accountability
- We answer to the women we serve, our supporters and the wider community.
Founders, 1973
The circle of five.
Raminder Dosanjh and Premchit Siripawa asked whether British Columbia had an organization for South Asian women. It did not, so with three friends they founded one.
Raminder Dosanjh
Premchit Siripawa In memoriam
Baljinder Siddoo In memoriam
Harjit Dhillon
Roda Pavri In memoriam
Our story · 1973 to today
From a circle of five to a trusted voice for women.
Very few organizations last half a century on goodwill and volunteer hours alone. IMA has. These are some of the chapters.
- 1973
Five women found IMA
Raminder Dosanjh, Premchit Siripawa, Harjit Dhillon, Baljinder Siddoo and Roda Pavri start an organization for South Asian women in British Columbia. Giddha classes create a safe space where women can open up and talk.
- 1981
Taking up the pen
IMA writes newspaper columns in English and Punjabi, carrying women's issues to a wider community.
- 1982
"A force that cannot be ignored"
The Asianadian magazine profiles IMA and describes it in those words.
- 1986
East Meets West
Eight hundred guests attend IMA's East Meets West celebration of dance and food. Broadcasters such as Shushma Datt give IMA airtime, and its public voice grows.
- 1990
Stopping a prenatal sex-selection clinic
IMA leads a coalition against a clinic advertising sex-determination ultrasounds to South Asian women in Vancouver. The clinic never opens.
- 1996
Naming violence for what it is
After the killing of nine members of one family in Vernon, IMA speaks out: violence is about power and control, not culture.
- 1997
Teeyan
More than seven hundred women gather for IMA's women's folk festival.
- 2023
Fifty years
IMA marks half a century of service, celebrated with members and friends at Fraserview Banquet Hall in April 2024.
- 2026
Empower 2026
Two endowments now hold about $500,000 and fund eight awards for women each year. A new generation is taking up the orange banner.
"I have always wanted to do things that are different, to take up challenges."
Raminder Dosanjh, founder, speaking to the Vancouver Sun
From the archive
Clippings and photographs.
The people behind IMA
Current Board & Collective
Volunteers who give their time, energy and heart to the women of our community.
Board members
Raminder DosanjhFounder & Spokesperson
Cindy DyalTreasurer
Ruchi P. MohanSecretary & Spokesperson
Divya SharmaMembership Secretary
Amarjeet HundalBoard Member
Afshan KamranBoard Member
Balmin SandhuBoard Member
Collective members
Suhani Dosanjh
Pinder Dhaliwal
Jaiya Grewal
Anna Sidhu
Past Board & Collective members
IMA has always been run entirely by volunteers. We thank every woman who has served on our Board and Collective.
- Afshan Kamran
- Amanpreet Shergill
- Amarjit Hundal
- Andrea Dulay
- Anna Sidhu
- Avani
- Balbir Sakhon
- Balinder Johal
- Baljinder Siddoo
- Balmin Sandhu
- Bobbie Dosanjh
- Cindy Dyal
- Darshan Mann
- Debo Sangha
- Dhamianti Bhogal
- Diviya Sharma
- Gagan Khalsa
- Gurdeep Sandhu
- Gurleen Gosal
- Hardev Mann
- Late Hardev Thandi
- Harjit Dhillon
- Harleen Randhawa
- Late Harminder Sanghera
- Harvinder Phandal
- Hemi Dhanoa
- Inderjit Kochhar
- Jagdish Kang
- Jaiya Grewal
- Joginder Mahal
- Jyoti Sanghera
- Late Kamla Rattan
- Kamlesh Sethi
- Kanchan Lall
- Late Krishna Khosla
- Madhu Varshney
- Manisha Singh
- Meera Dyal
- Late Nachhatar Dhahan
- Narinder Bharti-Lal
- Ninu Kang
- Nita Dosanjh
- Parminder Issac
- Parvin Khun Khun
- Perminder Bharaj-Flora
- Pinder Dhaliwal
- Prabhjot Parmar
- Late Pushpanjli Matharoo
- Late Raghbir Bains
- Raj Uppal
- Raminder Dosanjh
- Rani (Surinder) Grewal
- Reva Joshee
- Ruchi P. Mohan
- Sadhana Datt
- Sarb Bains
- Sargie Kaler
- Shavinder Bassi
- Sheila-Balbir Dhalliwal
- Shushma Datt
- Sital Dhillon
- Suhani Dosanjh
- Sukh Pal
- Sukhi Grewal
- Sukhpal Bains
- Sureeta Rai
- Surinder Deo
- Surinder Thiara
- Surjit Mann
- Tarwinder Dhalliwal
- Tinder Dhillon
- Veena Ardhawa
- Vivian Rai-Mann
Our work
Raising our collective voice for women.
IMA has been an advocate for women's issues in British Columbia for more than fifty years. Our work combines public advocacy, one-to-one support, learning and celebration.
Advocacy
Speaking up when it matters.
In 1990, when a California doctor advertised sex-determination ultrasounds to our community, IMA led the coalition that opposed the clinic. It never opened.
IMA has stood with survivors of domestic violence across the Lower Mainland and pressed for justice in a number of cases. In 1996, after nine members of one family were killed in Vernon, IMA said plainly that there is nothing cultural about violence. It is about power and control.
Programs
How IMA helps women day to day.
Victim support and referral
Trained volunteers offer emotional support, information and referrals to women facing abuse, with dignity and care.
Outreach to isolated and senior women
We reach women who are alone or cut off, and meet them where they are.
Education and skills workshops
Workshops help women gain training, confidence and independence, and keep learning throughout life.
Culture as a conversation
Drama, dance and cultural events open difficult conversations, from gender bias to the pressures on youth growing up between two cultures.
Young women
Programs for young women help them contribute, learn and widen their horizons, and prepare a new generation to lead IMA.
Awards for women's education
Our two endowments fund eight awards each year for women upskilling or returning to study at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Community College and Langara College.
Culture and celebration
Joy is part of the work.
Dance programs, picnics, Teeyan and seasonal celebrations bring women and families together and build bonds that last. In 1997, more than seven hundred women gathered for Teeyan, our women's folk festival.
We aim to create a home away from home: a sisterhood that supports and unites.
Events
Gathering, celebrating, honouring.
IMA brings women and families together through the year: International Women's Day, cultural celebrations, our Annual General Meeting and our signature fundraiser, Empower.
Next event
Upcoming events
What's ahead.
Dates marked TBD will be confirmed and shared with members and friends by email and WhatsApp.
Our signature gala · Friday, October 23, 2026
Empower 2026: A Legacy of Empowerment
Fraserview Banquet Hall, 8240 Fraser Street, Vancouver. More than 500 members, families, sponsors and friends marked 53 years of women supporting women, with the IMA Empower Awards, performances, Giddha by the women of IMA, and dinner.
Past events
Where we've gathered.
Coming up
Hear about the next gathering first.
Join the mailing list to hear about every IMA event as dates are confirmed.
Past event · Friday, October 23, 2026
Empower 2026: A Legacy of Empowerment
Fraserview Banquet Hall, 8240 Fraser Street, Vancouver · More than 500 guests
About the evening
More than 500 guests attended Empower 2026, which celebrated fifty-three years of advocacy, support and education, and thanked the donors whose gifts have grown IMA's two endowments to half a million dollars, funding eight awards a year for women at KPU, VCC and Langara.
The programme featured a sitar recital by Anju Bedi, Bharatanatyam by the Nandanum School, an address by Consul Masakui Rungsung, the story of IMA by Ruchi P. Mohan, a talk on the IMA Endowments by Raminder Dosanjh, and Giddha performed by the women of IMA.
The programme
Voices of the evening.
Speakers, guests and IMA members took the podium to mark 53 years of women supporting women.
The awards
Honouring those who empower women.
Seven IMA Empower Awards were presented during the evening: Legacy Awards to Ruth Harper and Sudhir Handa, Empower Awards to Baldev Khanna, Kim Bolan and Gurdip Bhullar, and Outstanding Contribution Awards to Narinder Bharti and Sargie Kaler.
Ujjal Dosanjh presented the IMA Legacy Awards to Ruth Harper and Sudhir Handa. Mandip Bumbrah presented the IMA Empower Award for Baldev Khanna, owner of Fraserview Banquet Hall, to his son Sunil Khanna, who accepted it on his father's behalf. Sachin Varma of Highpoint Capital presented Kim Bolan's award, and Mandeep Randhawa of RM Lawyers presented Gurdip Bhullar's.
2026 award winners
On stage with the honourees.
Empower 2026 · On stage
Performances of the evening.
Sitar by Anju Bedi, Bharatanatyam by Nandanam School, and Giddha by IMA Members and Friends of IMA.
Empower 2026 · After the awards
Then the dance floor took over.
Giddha, bhangra and every generation dancing together, from grandmothers to granddaughters.
Honourees
Empower 2026 Awards
Meet the honourees and read their citations
- IMA Legacy Awards
- Ruth Harper · Sudhir Handa
- IMA Empower Awards
- Baldev Khanna · Kim Bolan · Gurdip Bhullar
- IMA Outstanding Contribution Awards
- Sargie Kaler · Narinder Bharti
With thanks
Our sponsors
- Title sponsors
- Afshan Kamran, Mortgage Broker with Highpoint Capital Solutions · Mandip Bumbrah PREC
- Diamond sponsor
- Highpoint Capital Solutions
- Gold sponsor
- RM Trial Lawyers
Raffle prizes were donated by BITCAP Inc., Afshan Kamran, Mandip Bumbrah, Ganesh and Anita Nanda, Balmin Sandhu, Shawn Basi, Cindy Dyal and Delhi Boutique Vancouver.
Digital souvenir
Read the Empower 2026 souvenir.
Messages from the founder, the story of IMA, the board and collective, award winners, the endowment story and members' reflections, in a flipbook you can page through on any device.
Gallery
Five decades of gathering together.
Photographs from IMA's events, from our archive to this year. Choose an event to see its photos, then select any photo to view it larger.
Loading albums…
In the news
IMA in the media.
For more than fifty years, newspapers, magazines and community media have covered IMA's advocacy and its members. Every item below is credited to its original publication.
For any media enquiries, please contact us at info@indiamahila.com.
Online coverage
Vancouver SunOctober 2026
For half a century, B.C. South Asian women's group has fought violence and discrimination (opens in a new tab)
A look at IMA's fifty years of advocacy against violence and discrimination toward South Asian women in British Columbia.
The Langara VoiceApril 2024
A legacy to stand by after helping South Asian women for 50 years (opens in a new tab)
By Yashvika Grover and Siddharth Teotia. A profile of IMA at its 50th anniversary and the isolation and pressures South Asian immigrant women faced.
The Langara VoiceNovember 2018
The India Mahila Association fights for women's empowerment (opens in a new tab)
By Kathryn Tindale. A profile of IMA's history of activism and support for women in the South Asian community.
Sher-e-Punjab AM600March 2022
Radio interview: IMA calls for the dismissal of a Red FM host
IMA was interviewed on Sher-e-Punjab radio about its call for a Red FM host to be dismissed.
Rise Up! Feminist Digital Archive1981 to 1983
India Mahila Association documents (opens in a new tab)
Archived IMA flyers, letters and calls to action on violence against women from the early 1980s.
From IMA's press archive
Clippings kept by IMA members since the 1970s. Select an item to read the scan. Articles remain the copyright of their publishers and are shown here for historical reference.
Loading the archive…
Media enquiries
For interviews and comment, please contact our spokespeople, Raminder Dosanjh and Ruchi P. Mohan, at info@indiamahila.com. If you hold coverage of IMA that is missing here, we would be glad to hear from you.
Publications
Souvenirs, newsletters and brochures.
IMA's own publications, to read online and share.
Digital souvenir · October 2026
Empower 2026: A Legacy of Empowerment
Messages from the founder, the story of IMA, the board and collective, award winners, the endowment story and members' reflections, published for the Empower 2026 gala.
Brochure
About IMA, in English and Punjabi
Our mission, vision, goals and ways to get involved, in a two-page brochure. Select a page to view it larger.
Newsletter
Get IMA news by email.
Event announcements, updates on the endowment awards and stories from our members. Future newsletters will also be posted here.
Donate
Two ways to give.
Support IMA's day-to-day work in the community, or give to the IMA Endowment at Vancouver Foundation, which funds awards for women's education every year.
Option 1
Donate to IMA
Your gift supports IMA's programs, workshops, outreach and community events. IMA is run entirely by volunteers, so your donation goes to the work.
By Interac e-Transfer
Send your e-Transfer to:
accounts@indiamahila.com
Tell us about your gift
Enter your details below. They are emailed to accounts@indiamahila.com so we can match your e-Transfer and thank you.
By cheque
Make your cheque payable to:
India Mahila (Women's) Association of BC
Email info@indiamahila.com for the mailing address or to arrange drop-off.
Option 2
Donate to the IMA Endowment at Vancouver Foundation
Endowment gifts are invested permanently. The income funds eight awards a year for women at KPU, VCC and Langara. Gifts are made through Vancouver Foundation, which administers the funds and issues tax receipts.
Learn about the IMA Endowment Fund
By cheque
Make your cheque payable to Vancouver Foundation and write India Mahila (Women's) Association of British Columbia Fund on the memo line or an attached note. Mail it to:
Vancouver Foundation200-475 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4M9
Where your gift goes
Run by volunteers, accountable to women.
IMA has no paid staff and no government operating grant. Endowment gifts are held and invested by Vancouver Foundation on IMA's behalf, and the income funds awards for women every year.
"Gifts of this kind do not just add to a fund. They turn it into a legacy."Investing in Her Future, Empower 2026 Souvenir
Awards
Honouring women and the people who stand with them.
IMA gives two kinds of awards: the IMA Empower Awards, which recognize people whose generosity and courage have shaped our work, and education awards that help women return to study, funded every year by the IMA Endowment.
IMA Empower Awards
Honouring the people who stand with women.
Presented at Empower, IMA's signature gala, the IMA Empower Awards recognize people whose generosity, courage and service have shaped IMA's work: Legacy Awards, Empower Awards and Outstanding Contribution Awards.
Education awards
Eight awards a year at three institutions.
IMA's two endowments at Vancouver Foundation fund eight awards every year for deserving women at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver Community College and Langara College.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Awards for women studying at KPU.
Vancouver Community College
Awards for women studying at VCC.
Langara College
Awards for women studying at Langara.
Who the awards support
Women who are upskilling, learning new skills or returning to school after a break: newcomers retraining for the Canadian job market, mothers returning to careers after raising families, and women rebuilding their lives after difficult circumstances.
Learn more
To find out more about the IMA awards at KPU, VCC and Langara, or to help fund more of them, email info@indiamahila.com.
IMA Empower Awards
Celebrating those who empower women.
Each year at Empower, IMA's signature gala, the association honours people whose generosity, courage and service have made a lasting difference for women and for IMA.
Award categories
IMA Legacy Award
Honours individuals whose lifetime of generosity and exceptional contributions has had a profound and enduring impact on the community, and the lasting legacy they have established for future generations.
IMA Empower Award
Honours individuals who have shown a sustained commitment to advancing women's rights, well-being and opportunities, amplifying women's voices and creating lasting, meaningful change.
IMA Outstanding Contribution Award
Honours members who have made meaningful and sustained contributions to the association over the years, strengthening IMA and advancing its mission.
Empower 2026 · A Legacy of Empowerment
2026 award winners.
Presented on October 23, 2026, at Fraserview Banquet Hall, Vancouver.
IMA Legacy Awards
Ruth Harper
Honoured for her exceptional generosity and enduring commitment to advancing women's education. Her contributions to the IMA Endowment Fund have helped establish awards supporting deserving students at Langara College, KPU and VCC, creating a lasting legacy of educational opportunity and empowerment.
Sudhir Handa
Honoured for his significant philanthropic contributions and steadfast dedication to expanding educational opportunities for women. Through his support of the IMA Endowment Fund, he has helped make awards available to deserving students at Langara College, KPU and VCC, leaving an enduring legacy that enables women to pursue their aspirations through education.
IMA Empower Awards
Baldev Khanna
Owner of Fraserview Banquet Hall, honoured for his longstanding generosity, gracious hospitality and steadfast support of IMA's commitment to empowering women. By providing a safe and welcoming space for IMA's gatherings, he has helped bring women, families and generations together, fostering cultural connection, inclusion and an enduring sense of belonging.
Accepted on his behalf by Sunil Khanna.
Kim Bolan
Honoured for her distinguished contributions to investigative journalism, her commitment to reporting on human rights and women's issues, and her unwavering courage in pursuing the truth despite threats and intimidation. She stands as an inspiring role model for women, showing the power of a determined voice to challenge injustice and inform meaningful change.
Gurdip Bhullar
Honoured for using film and theatre to raise awareness of social issues facing our community. His telefilm Kammo, screened across Canada and in the villages of Punjab, confronted prenatal sex selection and the plight of the unwanted girl child.
IMA Outstanding Contribution Awards
Narinder Bharti
Honoured for her dedicated service on the Board, her valued contributions as Secretary over many years, and her active participation in women's events. Her sustained commitment and generous contribution of time and effort have helped strengthen the association and foster opportunities for women to connect, participate and support one another.
Sargie Kaler
Honoured for her many years of dedicated Board service and her enduring commitment to the association and the advancement of women. Through her compassionate leadership, advocacy and volunteer service, she has helped strengthen IMA as a community of encouragement, connection and support.
Congratulations to all of our 2026 honourees.
Know someone who should be honoured?
Suggest a future honouree.
If you know someone whose work has made a difference for women in British Columbia, tell us about them at info@indiamahila.com.
The IMA Endowment Fund
Investing in her future.
The IMA Endowment Fund for Women's Education and Training is held at Vancouver Foundation. It was saved one potluck at a time, and it funds awards for women every year, permanently.
- $500,000combined in IMA's two endowments
- 2endowments with Vancouver Foundation
- 8awards for women every year
- 3institutions: KPU, VCC and Langara
The first $100,000
Built by the community.
When IMA was founded in 1973, no one was thinking about endowments. The work in front of the founding members was immediate: building a community for South Asian women in British Columbia, supporting newcomers, and speaking up on the issues that mattered to women in their families and neighbourhoods.
But something quieter was happening alongside that work. After every cultural evening, every potluck dinner and every fundraising drive, small amounts were set aside. Not for the next event. Not for operating costs. For something permanent.
Over the decades, those small amounts grew into IMA's first $100,000, raised entirely through the association's own efforts, with no government grants and no corporate sponsorship. It came from potluck dinners with a $5 to $10 entry fee, from Diwali, Holi and Vaisakhi celebrations, and from cultural evenings where the door receipts went to the fund instead of to honorariums. With it, IMA established its first endowment with Vancouver Foundation and launched its first education awards.
From a fund to a legacy
How the endowments grew.
- $100K
Built by the community
Raised five and ten dollars at a time through potlucks, festivals and cultural evenings. IMA's first endowment is established with Vancouver Foundation.
- $200K
Doubled by Ruth Harper and Sudhir Handa
Their first gift doubled IMA's endowment funds to $200,000.
- $500K
A lasting legacy
In 2026, a further $300,000 from Ruth Harper and Sudhir Handa brought IMA's two endowments to a combined half a million dollars. IMA honoured them with Legacy Awards at Empower 2026.
"Gifts of this kind do not just add to a fund. They turn it into a legacy."Investing in Her Future, Empower 2026 Souvenir
Eight awards at three institutions
Who the awards support.
Today the two endowments fund eight awards a year for deserving women at three public institutions in the Lower Mainland.
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Awards for women studying at KPU.
Vancouver Community College
Awards for women studying at VCC.
Langara College
Awards for women studying at Langara.
Women who are often overlooked
The awards support women who are upskilling, learning new skills or returning to school after a break: newcomers retraining for the Canadian job market, mothers returning to careers after raising families, and women rebuilding their lives after difficult circumstances. These are the women most often overlooked by mainstream scholarships, and exactly the women IMA's founders had in mind.
Why an endowment
The capital stays invested with Vancouver Foundation, and the income funds the awards. The woman each award supports this year will be followed by another next year, and the year after that. A woman who completes a program carries that credential for the rest of her working life, and the benefit flows on to her family and her community.
The work continues
Help us grow the number of awards.
Half a million dollars is a milestone, not a destination. As the endowments grow, IMA hopes to increase the number of awards in the years to come. Every gift to the fund is invested permanently and keeps giving, every year.
Gifts are made through Vancouver Foundation, which administers IMA's endowments and issues tax receipts. To learn more about the awards, or to plan a larger or legacy gift, email info@indiamahila.com.
By cheque
Make your cheque payable to Vancouver Foundation and write India Mahila (Women's) Association of British Columbia Fund on the memo line or an attached note. Mail it to:
Vancouver Foundation200-475 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 4M9
Would you rather support IMA's day-to-day programs and events? Donate to IMA.
Get involved
Make your mark as a leader for change.
Join IMA as a member or volunteer. Whether you have an hour a month or want to lead a project, there is a place for you in the circle.
Where volunteers help.
Education services
Plan and lead workshops that build skills and confidence.
Gender equality initiatives
Help with campaigns and awareness work on women's rights.
Cultural and community events
Organize celebrations, Giddha, picnics and Empower.
Research and policy
Research issues and help shape IMA's advocacy positions.
Victim support
Offer support and referrals to women facing abuse, with training.
Young women's programs
Mentor and create opportunities for the next generation.
Two ways in
Become a member, volunteer, or both.
Become a member
Membership is $10 a year. Members vote at the AGM, hear about events first, and join a circle of women who share, support and lead together.
Volunteer with IMA
Give an hour a month or lead a project. Tell us a little about yourself and a board member will be in touch.
Become a member
Join the circle.
Membership in the India Mahila (Women's) Association of BC is $10 CAD a year. The application below is IMA's official membership form: fill it in right on the page, save it as a PDF, and email it to us.
- Fill in the form below. Click any line or box to type or tick it.
- Save your completed form as a PDF. It keeps the exact layout of IMA's paper form.
- Email it to accounts@indiamahila.com, and pay the $10 fee by Interac e-Transfer to accounts@indiamahila.com.
Volunteer with IMA
Lend a hand, lead a project.
IMA is run entirely by volunteers. Tell us a little about yourself and a board member will contact you about where you can help.
Contact
We would love to hear from you.
Write to us to ask for support, join the mailing list, volunteer, sponsor an event, set up a meeting or make a media enquiry.
- Emailinfo@indiamahila.com
- Media enquiriesFor any media enquiries, please contact us at info@indiamahila.com.
- LocationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Follow IMAFacebook (opens in a new tab) · Instagram (opens in a new tab) · LinkedIn (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Email IMA
To ask for support, join the mailing list, volunteer, sponsor an event, set up a meeting or make a media enquiry, email us at info@indiamahila.com. A board member will reply.