PHOTO BY MATT PREPROST Enlarge Image

Bre Woligroski chilling in Wolseley. Woligroski won the 2011 YMCA-YWCA peace medal.

For Bre Woligroski, the dividends of being a 2011 Peace Medal winner are already starting to pay off.

On Jan. 30, the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg presented the award to Woligroski for her work advocating social justice and gender equality issues around the world.

Since her win was announced, three universities across the country have invited the Wolseley resident to speak about her work.

"(It) keeps me going, keeps me working. My name is out there," said Woligroski, who is currently working with the Canadian Federation of Students on their Education is a Right campaign.

"I can speak more about the issues I care about and be taken seriously. It’s basically feedback from the community acknowledging this is really important work."

Woligroski, 31, began her path began in 2009, when she was one of a small team that addressed the United Nations’ 53rd Commission on the Status of Women.

When she came back, she founded the Social Justice Fair at Menno Simons College, helped co-ordinate a peace gathering for youth, and organized a community economic development conference for 600 people.

More recently, she helped co-ordinate last October’s Take Back the Night march, during which more than 300 people turned out to protest violence against women.

She was also chosen as the Canadian representative to speak about identity issues in Thailand, and last year was nominated for a 2011 Women of Distinction award, also handed out by the YMCA-YWCA.

Even with so much experience already under her belt, Woligroski said the medal will give her more credibility and clout as she presses on.

Woligroski said she wants to shift gears and focus on political policy work, examining women’s roles within religious circles and women’s issues in government policy.

"When you’re working in the world of policies and political areas, recognition like the peace medal, like my women of distinction nomination, makes you more credible in eyes of politicians. It can get you an in," she said.

"That’s sort of the name of the game in political and policy work. It’s very much your network and your connections. It broadens those networks."

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matt.preprost@canstarnews.com