The ICA Women’s Group is a 14 week program that provides opportunities for immigrant and refugee newcomers to meet each other and learn more about Canada and Victoria in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Interested in joining us?

Meet other immigrant and refugee women
Learn more about Victoria and Canada
Participate in fun activities and fieldtrips
Share stories, ideas and information
Practice English
and MORE!

Weekly meetings are held at the ICA on Friday mornings,
from 9:30 to noon

For the start date of the next group,
please contact us.

This program is supported by the United Way of Greater Victoria.

From Junk Food to Healthy Eating:
Tanya's journey to a better life (2005)

This photonovel was facilitated by Laura Nimmon and was done at Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria by a group of wonderful immigrant women. The women collaboratively chose the topic of nutrition as a main health concern. After a lesson from a public health nurse on eating well, the women wrote this story and did all the acting and photography to create the engaging health related photonovel. The photonovel was then distributed throughout Vancouver and Victoria where other ESL speaking immigrant and refugee women go for services.

see the photonovel on Laura Nimmon's website

ICA Summer Women’s Group a Success!

The ICA Summer Women’s Group was an 8-week program that provided opportunities for immigrant and refugee newcomers to learn more about Victoria’s community events and volunteer opportunities in a welcoming and supportive environment. A variety of information sessions about volunteering and summer events were provided, as well as activities that gave participants a chance to volunteer as a group, attend a Luminara lantern-making workshop, and learn the how-to’s of resumes and interviews.

ICA FolkFest volunteers

Many participants noted that the Summer Program not only helped them to learn more about getting involved in the community, but also to make new friends, find support and practice English. As one woman said, “This group, what it represents and the potential it has, has helped me a lot to feel less alienated and lonely.” Other participants said that they “got to know many people from different countries”, “learned a lot about Victoria” and that the group was “a good opportunity to speak English”.

Luminara lantern making workshop

Special thanks to Vancity for funding the Summer Women’s Group Program, to Volunteer Victoria for providing information sessions and support, and to the participants of the Summer Women’s Group for making the program such a wonderful success!