Last week, YWCA Vancouver announced the nominees for the 2025 Women of Distinction Awards. WTC celebrates former Co-Chair Dr. Joy Masuhara for her nomination in the Community Champion category and Board Member Mita Naidu for her nomination in the Non-Profit category!
They celebrated their nominations with WTC Board Member Alexa Traboulay and WTC Founder Ellen Woodsworth.
The YWCA Women of Distinction Awards celebrates women making a difference every single day, a celebration of over forty years of rallying behind women and gender-diverse folks. Recognized nationally, the awards honours extraordinary women leaders and businesses.
Learn more about Joy and Mita's community impact and why they are nominated this year.
Dr. Joy Masuhara
Community Champion Nominee
Joy is the first-ever Regional Medical Director for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for Vancouver Coastal Health. She was a litigant in Canada’s landmark equal marriage legal challenge in the early 2000s, which resulted in change to Canada’s marriage laws. Joy successfully advocated for a Sexual Orientation Gender Identity Group in the General Assembly of Partners, a civil society advisory body to UN Habitat. She also led the creation of dedicated lactation spaces at Metro Vancouver health-care facilities, including the use of portable lactation pods. Joy served on the Board of Directors for success and Women Transforming Cities. In 2023, she received the Equity in Medicine Dr. Pauline Alakija Trailblazer Award and, in 2024, she was recognized as an Honorary Lifelong Member of Women Transforming Cities.
Mita Naidu
Non-Profit Nominee
Mita is the Director of Content Strategy for BC Housing and is recognized for breaking barriers in the non-profit sector. She’s embedded antiracism, equity, diversity and inclusion principles at BC Women’s Health Foundation, Vantage Point and BC Housing, educating employees and sharing resources with each team. Mita was selected for a Royal BC Museum and Heritage Canada committee to designate historical South Asian Canadian sites in the province, restoring recognition for generations of immigrant settlers. When serving as Board Director of Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Mita was the only woman and racialized member, and she advocated for inclusivity and diversity in performances. She also served as a Board Member for Women Transforming Cities, Vancouver International Children’s Festival and is on Global BC’s Editorial Board.
WTC's board is full of amazing folk and you can learn about them and their work in community.
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