YWCA Central Carolinas’ Women of Achievement event honors three generation of women who have enhanced social and racial justice in the Charlotte community. Their lives, work and impact exemplify YWCA’s mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.
This year’s ceremony was live-streamed from Wonderworld‘s West End Studio space. If you missed our virtual event, or would like to re-watch it, you can do so below!
Meet our 2020 Women of Achievement
Shavette Campbell, Emerging Leader
Shavette Campbell’s entire career has been committed to social justice and pursuing significant advances in the areas of Public Health policy and Maternal and Child Health.
As a certified health Education specialist and social justice advocate, Shavette joined the March of Dimes Advocacy Network in 2020 to advance her efforts in the fight for equitable maternal and child health.
She is also a trained childbirth doula through DONA (Doulas of North America International), and knows first-hand the power of individual rights and community-driven social change. She is a dedicated advocate for parental rights, equitable access to health services, health promotion/education and nutrition programming. Shavette frequently educates herself and others on the importance of political and community support surrounding critical maternal and child health topics. In addition to supporting the Momnibus Act, she works closely with organizations fighting to make strides in other arenas that support social justice such as: The Moms Matter Act, The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and ending the Black Maternal Health Crisis.
Sil Ganzó, Community Champion
Sil Ganzó is the founder and executive director of ourBRIDGE for Kids. After moving to Charlotte from Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2003, she became involved with refugee and immigrant families in 2010, when she recognized the lack of educational and socio-emotional support for newly-arrived children and their families.
Sil was inspired to create ourBRIDGE — a safe, nurturing, and respectful environment where refugee and immigrant children can learn English, are encouraged to achieve academic excellence, and feel pride in their culture.
Sil stands apart from other leaders who work with the refugee and immigrant communities because whether it’s during everyday operations or during a pandemic, she and her staff don’t have to go into these communities and ask what they need. The staff and leadership come from these communities and are in these communities. That direct connection means the refugee and immigrant community in east Charlotte know that ourBRIDGE is a safe place where they can voluntarily express their needs while experiencing no loss of dignity.
Gibbie Harris, Lifetime Advocate
Recognizing the critical role of health in attaining social justice, Health Director Gibbie Harris has led Public Health efforts to address health disparities and advance achieving health equity. In shaping the community’s response to COVID-19, Gibbie partnered with other providers and community resources to increase access to accurate information, testing services and, when available, vaccinations. This is exemplified in the shift of vaccination efforts from a central location (Bojangles Coliseum) to multiple sites in neighborhoods across the county, using data to identify those areas most impacted by the virus, and with the lowest immunization rates.
Under Gibbie’s leadership, evidence for the effects of Mecklenburg County’s Public Health activities are seen in those receiving services, in the ways other community organizations are strengthened through partnering, and in the collective impact on improving the population’s health.
Learn about the awards
Thank you to local ceramic artist Danielle Carelock for creating this year’s Women of Achievement awards.
To learn more about Danielle, her connection to YWCA Central Carolinas and the award pieces she created watch the video below!
