International Women's Day is a day known for celebrating trailblazers and empowering gender-diverse people. Gender inequities are still prominent in today's society creating not only a women's issue but a socioeconomic issue. Mediaplanet sat down with female leaders in various industries to shed light on the barriers they've faced over their careers.
What have been some of the challenges you've faced as a women trying to advance your career? I think the biggest challenge for me was overcoming the inner voice in my head that told me “I couldn’t”. It seemed impossible to silence my self-doubt. I got in my own way more than anyone else ever could. Another challenge I often faced was being underestimated because I was “too nice”. Being kind isn’t a weakness, it’s a strength. We need to build one another up. Kindness and having empathy for one another is key to a healthy, sustainable work environment.
How can Canadians be better allies for women and gender-diverse people in the workplace? Why do you think it's so
Mira Kopanarov
Founder Mirable Marketing, The Women’s Connection
What have been some of the challenges you've faced as a women trying to advance your career?
Persistent request to discount worth on the promise of future success
• Balance between equally demanding responsibilities
• Inadequacy for needing time for reboot
How can Canadians be better allies for women and gender-diverse people in the workplace? Why do you think it's so important to have everyone on board?
Listening to the voices of women and gender-diverse people
Zuly Matallana
Lia Antonova
Founder Dama Events, The Women’s Connection
from within the communities, like The Women’s Connection. When one section of society flourishes it benefits all. What we need most is shift of attitude and awareness. What advice can you give women who are consistently facing barriers and inequities in the workplace?
Know that you are not alone. Reclaim your worth and accept equality as the only option. Be prepared to examine your goals to maintain integrity which is the real source of strength and success.
Founder and CEO TIARA Bliss Inc. (As seen on Dragons' Den)
What have been some of the challenges you've faced as a women trying to advance your career?
The hardest challenge I believe is the fact that I had to learn a new language in order to advance my career — but it was also a blessing in disguise! Running a startup during COVID lockdowns was scary, there was so much uncertainty, both in my professional and personal life. It allowed me time to really narrow my focus though, and thankfully, the lockdown meant more women were doing their own hair at home, and happy to invest in the TIARA Shower Cap to extend the life of their at-home blowouts.
It also allowed me to slow down and really focus
OCR Canada promotes people based on performance — not gender. We help our customers perform in their roles, by being your knowledgeable advisors for supply chain technology. If you want to shine for your leadership, we can help.
on the direction I wanted to take my business in. I invested my energy to create another amazing product like the Natural Deodorant and Natural Dry shampoos – which we’re excited to launch soon.
How can Canadians be better allies for women and gender-diverse people in the workplace?
Why do you think it's so important to have everyone on board?
I really believe respect is a key factor to understand and support gender-diverse people in the work place. Universally, respect is an important factor driving contingent work experiences. Respect for the contingent workforce can be thought of in terms of a cycle, where colleagues and project leaders first encourage opportunities, listen to the opinions of contingent
important to have everyone on board? Canada is made up of a beautiful cultural mosaic....one that benefits any workplace when it’s represented. Passion, skill, drive and a positive attitude should always be the determining factors.
What advice can you give women who are consistently facing barriers and inequities in the workplace?
Lean on others you trust for support and advice. Reach out to someone who has been able to break a barrier in the field you're interested in and find out how they managed to do it. Without my mentor, broadcast journalist Mary Ito, showing me the way many moons ago, I never would have stayed the course. She was all that I wanted to see in the broadcast industry... integrity in tact, hard working, talented, with a heart of gold.
workers, and recognize work contributions.
What advice can you give women who are consistently facing barriers and inequities in the workplace?
Set yourself up for success by surrounding yourselves with mentors. We can’t do it alone. Having trustworthy mentors and allies that you can turn to for advice, or even a simple gut check as you make decisions, has been a huge source of support and assurance for me.
And finally, know that mistakes are inevitable. Don’t shy away from them. Instead, understand why they were made, and how you can avoid making them again in the future. I invite you to learn and keep believing in yourself.
Ready to Embrace Equity? It Starts with Embracing Intersectionality
Recognizing intersectionality and forging gender equity are ingrained in TD’s workplace culture, as told by three of its inspiring women leaders.
Tania Amardeil
This International Women’s Day (IWD) — as we celebrate women’s achievements, raise awareness about discrimination, and take action to drive gender parity — activists around the world, from global brands to grassroots groups, are focusing on this year’s IWD theme: #EmbraceEquity.
Equity is notably different from equality. It’s time to recognize that equal opportunities aren’t enough, because people start from different places — and true inclusion and belonging require equitable action and a deep understanding of intersectionality.
This work is happening at all levels of society, including in the workplace and at organizations like TD Bank Group (TD), a Canadian multinational banking and financial institution. When it comes to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion, including gender equity, we all need to be part of the solution — allies included.
Grace Lawani Compliance Business Oversight Manager, TD
Understanding intersectionality
Intersectionality, a term coined by civil rights advocate and scholar Kimberle Crenshaw, refers to the interconnected nature of social identities such as race, gender, and sexual orientation and how they can overlap and impact people’s experiences, including different layers of discrimination and inequality.
“Intersectionality to me is recognizing that people’s social identities can overlap and acknowledging that everyone has their own unique experience,” says Grace Lawani, Compliance Business Oversight Manager at TD. “I don’t fit into a particular box, so sometimes we have to create these boxes ourselves. For instance, I identify as Black, as a woman, and as a newcomer to Canada, and so my experience is unique to myself.”
nizes that it’s just a piece of the puzzle, intersecting with TD’s broader diversity and inclusion efforts, including those focused on Black Experiences, Visibile Minorities/ Minorities, Indigenous Peoples, People with Disabilities/ Individuals with Disabilities, the 2SLGBTQ+ community, and Veterans.
“We've established programs and training to promote understanding of equity and intersectionality, and emphasize the importance of accountability and active allyship,” says Lee. “Ultimately, training and awareness are the first steps — it's vital that our actions drive inclusion and equity, and that’s our focus at TD.”
Influencing positive change
For Christine Morris, Senior Executive Vice President of Transformation, Enablement, and Customer Experience at TD and Enterprise Chair of Women at TD, championing change within the organization began as a natural result of her personal story — but evolved as her learning and understanding of intersectionality expanded.
We strive to embed diversity and inclusion, which are core to the TD culture, across all dimensions of our business.
TD’s leadership team understands the importance of recognizing intersectionality and has created a workplace culture that strongly embraces diversity. “TD wants you to bring your true, authentic self to work,” says Lawani. It’s a win-win situation, she notes — employees are able to define themselves and to thrive in an accepting and diverse culture while TD benefits by having colleagues who are able to show up as the best versions of themselves.
Fostering inclusive workplaces
“At TD, we believe in the power of diverse and inclusive teams, and that inclusive workplaces ultimately bring the best out of everyone. Representation matters.
Our aim is for our colleagues and customers to see themselves reflected at TD, including within senior leadership levels.” says Diana Lee, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at TD. “Both equity and intersectionality are vital to diversity and inclusion efforts.”
As a leader, Lee has always been an advocate of the Women at TD area of focus and network. She also recog-
“The role of Enterprise Chair of Women at TD means a lot to me,” she says. “When I first came in as Chair, I wanted to make sure I could make a meaningful impact. A large part of the role is being a leader in the space, setting an example in how I work and interact with colleagues, and ensuring that I’m supporting other women as they navigate their own journeys. The more I worked in the portfolio, the more I realized that everyone has a differing experience, person to person, woman to woman. Even though my experiences might not be the same as everyone else's, I see this as an opportunity to broaden my responsibility to community members and be an active ally.”
Having grown and evolved in her own role, Morris’ focus is on supporting women across TD and at all levels.
A history of success and support
Across TD, embracing equity is part of the bank’s DNA. From understanding intersectionality to promoting positive change in the organization to making sure everyone has a seat at the table, the organization is leading the way in creating a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
“We strive to embed diversity and inclusion, which are core to the TD culture, across all dimensions of our business,” says Lee.
“Organizations, including TD, have a responsibility to create a work environment where all colleagues can bring their best selves to work and perform at their peak,” says Morris. “If organizations neglect to recognize this, employees can fall into exclusion and diverse perspectives and opinions can be missed. Diversity of perspectives, experiences, and opinions only makes a business better.”
Diana Lee Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, TD
Even before working in the male-dominated financial industry, I loved numbers and using them to prove why my observations added up in a dollars-and-sense way . My favourite statistic? Profits rise when women lead.
The winning equation? Simple: fair treatment based on merit alone plus equal access to resources and networks equals the same chance of success for men and women.
I’m not alone in thinking that we’re wasting a huge Canadian resource — the female half of the adult population. The federal government estimates that advancing gender equality and women's participation in the economy could boost GDP by $150 billion.
Understanding the problem Despite the steps that have been taken to reduce unfair practices and inequality in entrepreneurship, biases still make it harder for women to have what men may take for granted. Women must:
• Go further to overcome old-school stereotypical assumptions of their commitment, capacity, and leadership/ management capabilities; Overcome the absence of support networks and mentors that help startups grow; and
• Work harder for the investment capital and operating financing that allow business ideas to take flight.
What proof is there of this? One example is Hardpops, the alcohol-infused freezie brainchild of two B.C. women who had to go to
Why Must Canadian Women Entrepreneurs Leave Home for Financing and Support?
the U.S. to become successful after the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch turned them away. Another example? A woman of colour was told she “should get a white male to lead [her] team if [she] want to move ahead faster.”
I’ve always funded my own companies, but if I’d needed lenders, would I have had to go elsewhere despite my success record? Probably.
Uncertain hope for the future
I’m hopeful for the future in the sense that there have been many advances. Many men, now more aware of unfair practices and the challenges women face, support equal treatment.
Part of me is not hopeful. While more men “get it” — the value, ideas, energy, and passion women entrepreneurs bring to the table — there have also been steps backward. Politicians lying to score political points by promoting misogyny and influencers profiting from perpetuating toxic masculinity feed today’s attack environment, breeding future problems for women.
And part of me thinks the jury is still out. On one hand, a recent study showed that women own just 17 per cent of Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses. Clearly, this must change. On the other hand, while a serial entrepreneur, I’m a staunch believer in free markets, but agree that governments must ensure markets are equally accessible by all. As stewards of fair play in Canada,
A Holistic Approach to Lending Supports Women
Gender-equity biases, unclear explanations, and reluctance to take on debt are some of the barriers preventing Canadian women entrepreneurs from accessing capital.1 “Traditional lenders tend to use criteria like credit score, personal net worth, and security when evaluating a loan application, but women often have unique life circumstances that prevent them from meeting the requirements of these evaluation tools,” says Alison Kirkland, CEO of Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC).
Being unable to access financing puts women entrepreneurs at a disadvantage.
“They may have to rely on personal savings or credit cards, which can have repercussions for their family or retirement stability,” says Kirkland.
A more holistic approach to lending WEOC is changing the lending landscape by offering accessible and inclusive loan services to Canadian women and non-binary entrepreneurs through its National Loan Program.
“WEOC loans are very low-barrier because they don’t require a minimum credit score or collateral and they come with flexible repayment terms,” says Heather Sadowy, Loans Manager at WEOC.
This more holistic approach to lending includes wraparound services that support the client throughout the term of the loan. “WEOC’s network of loan partner organizations across the country are there to help clients develop a business plan, prepare for the loan application, and provide aftercare support once the loan has been received,” says Sadowy.
The WEOC National Loan Program is available to all business structures — from sole proprietors to incorporated businesses to social enterprises. Entrepreneurs can apply through a WEOC loan partner organization in their region.
governments can accelerate fair access to finance, information, and infrastructure.
While criticizing governments for failures to support business, I’m cautiously optimistic after this present government recognized that “…full equal participation of women in the economy [isn’t] just the right thing to do; it's the smart thing...” The federal government launched the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) — a globalfirst whole-of-government approach — to “increase women-owned businesses’ access to the financing, talent, networks, and expertise to start up, scale up, and access new markets.”
Involving 20 departments/agencies, WES includes a micro-financing Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund helping women business owners/entrepreneurs build businesses; a WES Ecosystem Fund helping women entrepreneurs grow their businesses through support/mentoring; and a one-stop Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub. The Government of Canada, as long as gender discrimination and bias persist, must address barriers to gender equity in entrepreneurship, as this is essential to a more inclusive and equitable — and profitable — business environment.
This International Women’s Day, let’s admire determined women starting their businesses and salute the men championing equality in entrepreneurship and these businesswomen’s journeys.
Describe your business.
I founded the Prairie Centre for Child Development in September 2021 with the support of my colleague at Milestones Occupational Therapy for Children. We had the shared goal of providing equitable, multidisciplinary services to children and families living in Northern Saskatchewan and rural communities.
How has the WEOC National Loan Program supported you?
I was fortunate to partner with the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) on my initial application to create the centre. When it came time to expand the physical space, WESK introduced me to WEOC. I find grant applications intimidating, but the people at WEOC and my WESK advisors made the process very straightforward.
The way WEOC inspires women and celebrates their achievements is empowering, so I encourage other women to take the jump.
Lauralee
Sheehan Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Digital 55, Toronto, Ont.
Describe your business.
We produce knowledge-based media and digital learning experiences for various organizations and companies. The company went full-time in 2018 and recently launched an originals/unscripted content division, DBA Coolhunter Films, which creates a new revenue stream for the business and has plans to activate a distribution division in the future.
How has the WEOC National Loan Program supported you?
The program is helping us to create new and critical roles within the company, to manage our current portfolio, and to grow the company to the next stage. It’s a relief to have supports for growth that allow strategic decision-making to be proactive instead of reactive, which happens so often to entrepreneurs.
Dr. Jocelyn Poock Founder, Prairie Centre for Child Development, Saskatoon, Sask.
Empowering Women Will Help End Poverty — Here's How
No poverty! The first of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals that Canada has committed to is ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. How will we end poverty? Let’s look at the story of a fellow namesake, Barbara Larweh, from Western Ghana. Barbara Grantham
Wanting to do something about persistent hunger in her community, Barbara Larweh, a retired teacher from Western Ghana, participated in a homestead gardening program. She learned how to grow nutritious food and was able to feed her family with fresh eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. But she still needed a source of protein.
Barbara joined a community savings and loans group, where she secured money to buy chickens. Access to traditional bank systems is difficult in many parts of the world. Savings and loans groups consist of community members who are self-managed and who meet regularly
to collectively save their money and access small loans.
Barbara’s dozen chickens soon produced enough eggs for her family and left her with a surplus to sell. Wanting her community to benefit, Barbara got training from the international non-governmental organization CARE to lead her own savings and loans group. She started the group with nine women and six men. They were profitable within only one year. There are now 15 savings groups in the community whose members have grown financially, even creating jobs for themselves. This story of one woman’s economic empowerment becomes a story of many families having enough to eat and finding their way out of poverty.
This story of one woman’s economic empowerment becomes a story of many families having enough to eat and finding their way out of poverty.
Aren’t we there yet?
Barbara’s story is just one example of how economically empowering women benefits everyone around her. UN Women notes that Fortune 500 Companies with more women in management achieve a 34 per cent higher shareholder return compared to companies with fewer women.
Despite this evidence, and global commitments since 1979 to empower women, the reality is wanting.
UN Women cites that women are more likely to be unemployed or in informal or vulnerable employment. Women are paid up to 24 per cent less than men, while they do most of the unpaid and domestic work globally, and in 18 countries, husbands can prevent their wives from working. Unequal economic opportunities for women are a significant barrier to our primary goal to end poverty. In fact, gender inequality increases human suffering.
Gender inequality impacts everything
Take hunger, for example. Global hunger is at an all-time high, with hundreds of millions around the world in need of daily food assistance to meet their nutritional needs. Because of longer-lasting wars, recurring cli-
To mark International Women's Day, the organization is expanding its youth leadership program to provide even more opportunities for young women to tap into their power as changemakers.
Promoting gender equity
Girls Belong Here promotes gender equity, builds confidence among youth participants and helps sharpen their professional development skills. Young women get to network and receive valuable mentorship from professionals in their field, including corporate executives, political decision-makers and
civil society organizations. Challenging gender stereotypes has never been more important, as only 10 per cent of Canadian youth picture a woman when they think of a CEO.
As part of a global development and humanitarian organization that's been advancing children's rights and equality for girls for more than 85 years, Plan International Canada aims to shift this narrative.
A platform for inclusion and representation
This spring, through seat shares, more than 30 young women will step into high-profile positions with more than 10 partnered organizations. Youth par-
ticipants gain first-hand experience with leadership roles and reinforce their right to representation and equal opportunities in all industries.
mate-linked droughts and floods, crop pests, and poverty, we have less availability and affordability of nutritious and diverse food.
Add gender inequality to the global hunger equation. When there’s less food to go around, there’s less food for those with the least power in the household. Women and girls tend to eat last and least, which impacts their health and socioeconomic productivity. In fact, a CARE study found that in countries where there’s less gender equality, people were hungrier.
When women have limited access to land, limited funds to buy seeds or fertilizer, and limited control of what they grow, their access to nutritious food and the profits from their labour are also limited. When women and girls are more equal, there’s less hunger. With less hunger, there’s greater social progress for everyone.
Giving women equal opportunities for economic empowerment is one sure way to achieve our shared global goal of “no poverty.” Like Barbara, women can lead in improving food security — for themselves, their families, and their communities. This lifts these families and communities out of poverty and onto a path to a better, healthier life. And that benefits each and every one of us.
Other activities include Innovation Hubs, half-day sessions where girls and young women contribute their insights to resolve a specific organizational challenge.
Investing in the next generation couldn't come fast enough, as achieving true gender equality is estimated to be 132 years away. To help close the gender gap, Plan International Canada's ambitious new five-year “All Girls Standing Strong” strategy aims to improve the lives of 30 million children around the world, half of whom will be girls.
Powerful partnerships
For the Girls Belong Here program's first spring edition, Plan International Canada is proud to partner with leading organizations that will host seat shares, Innovation Hubs and more.
With AstraZeneca as the global sponsor, young women will also collaborate with Bank of Montreal (BMO), Royal Bank of Canada, Brother International, Unilever, Pfizer/Alesse, YWCA Canada, the University of Alberta, Fora: Network for Change, Results Canada and Habitat for Humanity.
Unlocking endless potential
“Girls have immense potential that needs to be tapped into and given a platform, and Girls Belong Here does just that,” says Anoushka, a Plan International Canada youth ambassador partnered with BMO. “Through this experience, I am learning invaluable skills, building lifelong relationships, and growing personally. I strongly encourage girls to apply for this rare, life-changing opportunity.”
Investing in young women leaders today is crucial to achieving a more inclusive and prosperous future. Through Girls Belong Here , Plan International Canada is breaking down barriers and unleashing the limitless potential of young women, paving the way for a new generation of trailblazing female leaders.
Barbara Grantham President & CEO,
Canada
Domestic Workers in Bangladesh Deserve Better — Here's Why You Should Care
in Bangladesh — and this work affects us all.
Recognizing that gender is the most persistent predictor of poverty and powerlessness in our world today, Oxfam Canada and its partners aim to advance women’s rights, promote women’s leadership in their communities, and transform power relationships that entrench inequality and injustice. When a woman is paid a fair and living wage, works in safe and decent working conditions, and has the ability to earn a fair and decent livelihood, she then has the power to lift herself, her family, and her community out of poverty.
Oxfam Canada is on a mission to build lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. We work with communities to champion fairer economies where all forms of women's work are recognized, fairly paid, and valued.
An unjust labour market Oxfam Canada and its local partners work to advance the recognition of domestic work in Bangladesh, where a staggering 90 per cent of the country’s 10.5 million domestic workers are women.
“I spent a year living and working in Bangladesh and have seen first-hand the nature of this work, how crucial they are to the functioning of day-to-day life in Dhaka, and also the discrimination and mistreatment they
Ccan face from employers,” says Jennifer Burley, program officer in the international programs department of Oxfam Canada.
Domestic workers in Bangladesh often earn as low as $12 CAD per month which prevents them from fulfilling their basic needs, experience unsafe working conditions and long hours, and face violence in their workplaces and at home.
“Domestic workers in Bangladesh are often faced with multiple intersecting inequalities and are without any labour and social protections afforded to other workers in more formalized sectors,” says Richa Sharma, monitoring, evaluation, and learning officer in the international programs department of Oxfam Canada.
by the Government of Canada.
The project developed a curriculum for life and occupational skills for domestic workers accredited by the government for the first time in Bangladesh’s history. Securing Rights is using this accredited curriculum to train 16,000 domestic workers, aiming to increase their understanding and ability to advocate for their rights, along with their negotiating power and skills, resulting in better wages and conditions. Securing Rights also advocates for the Government of Bangladesh to implement the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy, which it adopted in 2015.
I spent a year living and working in Bangladesh and have seen first-hand the nature of this work, how crucial they are to the functioning of day-to-day life in Dhaka, and also the discrimination and mistreatment they can face from employers.
Building a more just world Oxfam Canada is on a mission to change this through its Securing Rights project, funded
Ending global poverty begins with women’s rights. To create more just societies around the world, all of us must contribute to building economies that work with and for women.
Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Workplace
Canada works to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion which is no longer a nice-to-have, optional element in the workplace.
one-third of employees experience inclusive team dynamics at their companies. This proves our work is not nearly done.
Furthering my commitment to advancing gender equality, I am thrilled to be part of the Canadian delegation attending the 67th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW67) this week, as selected by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
Where have you seen progress in gender equity in the workplace?
atalyst Canada works to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion which is no longer a nice-tohave, optional element in the workplace. It’s imperative. Employees, customers and communities expect and demand that organizations focus on inclusion. When they do, team innovation, problem-solving, and individual work engagement are likely to increase.
With the higher stakes for our companies and employees, how do we embrace equity to ensure that inclusive policies, practices, and programs stay at the top of today’s corporate agendas?
On International Women’s Day, we spoke to Catalyst Canada’s Executive Director, Julie Cafley, Ph.D., about how organizations can enhance workplace equity for women.
Why is International Women’s Day important? What does it mean to you?
Inclusion allows people to be their authentic selves. Catalyst research shows that only
One major piece is harnessing men’s agency (their belief in their ability to make personal changes) as an essential resource for addressing gender inequity in the workplace. As sexism persists globally, men need to be a part of the solution. They hold positions of power. They can object more easily without backlash. Catalyst’s research across 12 countries shows that adverse workplace climates, such as a climate of silence, are a barrier to men interrupting sexism. When a workplace has an atmosphere of openness, where employees feel heard, men’s intent to directly interrupt sexism increases, which benefits everyone.
What are some ways—big and small— we can advance gender equity in the workplace?
Anyone can be an advocate for gender equity. Advocacy involves humble listening, learning from one another, reflecting, and exerting effort. An advocate learns daily as they help push for equity. These authentic discussions may be uncomfortable, and not all leaders are ready yet to welcome them. But when they create open and honest experience sharing, we gain knowledge and compassion.
At Catalyst, we celebrate International
Women’s Day and beyond by lifting up stories about how inclusion thrives in the workplace. What does that look like for individual women? What does that look like for managers? We know that each person’s lived experience is unique, and we want to show all the ways that inclusion shows up in the workplace. We’re sharing those stories on social media using #InclusionThrives.
How does inclusive culture benefit workplaces and women?
Team-based and collaborative work will remain the foundation of successful organizations. Inclusive teams help cultivate our differences while striving together. Catalyst research has found that three norms (defined as shared expectations for team members’ behaviour) characterize inclusive teams: promoting expressions of difference, fostering a group coaching climate, and ensuring fair team decision-making processes. These norms reinforce team members’ ability to bring their whole selves to work, be real with one another, and turn to one another for support. There is a solid link to retention when people’s values align with their organizations, so why wouldn’t we want to do this?
What would you like to see become the norm in future workplaces?
For all leaders to lead with authenticity and empathy. Empathy is a force for productivity, life-work integration, and positive work experiences. Catalyst research in this area shows that empathy boosts productivity — employees with empathic managers and leaders are more innovative and engaged in their work than employees with less empathic managers and leaders. This would be a future at work that we could all embrace.
Oxfam Canada promotes empowerment and advocacy to secure labour rights for women domestic workers
Tania Amardeil
Chan Banu is
Dhaka
Jennifer Burley Program Officer,
Catalyst
It’s imperative.
Julie Cafley
Toronto, ON,
How Stacy’s Pita Chips is Helping Women Entrepreneurs Rise
Access to critical funding and resources is still challenging for Canadian women entrepreneurs. Here’s how Stacy’s is helping.
Anne Papmehl
Though there are more than 1.1 million women entrepreneurs in Canada1, they only receive an estimated 4 per cent of venture capital funding 2. Additionally, only about half of Canadian women entrepreneurs are aware of the support programs available to them or believe they have a strong network of support and mentorship3
Stacy’s Pita Chips has a longstanding commitment to helping women entrepreneurs get the resources they need. In 2019, the Stacy’s brand officially launched the
Stacy’s Rise Project, a grant and mentorship program and has supported more than 50 women founders with over $450,000 (USD) in grants.
In 2022, the Stacy’s Rise Project expanded into Canada for the first time, as part of the brand’s effort to support women entrepreneurs across North America. Canadian founders had the chance to receive a grant of $15,000 (CAD) and gain access to once-in-a-lifetime mentorship opportunities with PepsiCo Foods Canada and Frito-Lay leadership.
THIS YEAR, THE STACY’S BRAND IS RECOGNIZING FOUR FOUNDERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY:
ELAINE TAN COMEAU
Coquitlam, BC, Founder of Easy Daysies Ltd. a creator of award winning daily visual schedules to help children, adults and families have easier days.
We talked to Jess Spaulding, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo Foods Canada who launched the initiative in the U.S. and has now brought the program to Canada.
Why is it important for programs like the Stacy’s Rise Project to continue expanding?
In Canada, so many women entrepreneurs face barriers to proper funding and mentorship, which limits their professional growth. For this reason and many others, it’s important to have programs like the Stacy’s Rise Project dedicated to supporting women business owners. We’re excited to support the communities in which we operate, and know that announcing our first-ever Canadian class of recipients is just the beginning of recognizing the incredible women entrepreneurs in this country.
How do programs like the Stacy’s Rise Project bring us closer to gender parity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem?
We know there is a lot more work to be done to help women entrepreneurs have the resources to rise to their full potential.
The numbers are still sobering, as almost half of Canadians (45 per cent) believe that one of the top barriers to the success of women entrepreneurs is a lack of funding, closely followed by a lack of mentorship (36 per cent)3 . Having a professional mentor is consistently cited as a key to women advancing in the workplace — so it’s important to give our first-ever Canadian Stacy’s Rise Project class access not only to funding, but also to a mentorship community, including PepsiCo Foods Canada and Frito-Lay leadership, which they can lean on for support.
We’re also mindful that the entrepreneurial ecosystem leans towards the technology and manufacturing sectors where women are more absent, and as a result, contributions to the sectors where women are more present like food, health, beauty, and culture often get overlooked. The Stacy’s Rise Project continues to empower women with businesses in many sectors in hopes to uplift more of the women founders in need of support.
JOLENE JOHNSON
Tobique First Nation, NB, Founder of Wabanaki Maple, a completely Indigenous, womenowned, and unique maple syrup company located in Neqotkuk (Tobique) First Nation.
KRISTYN CARRIERE
Edmonton, AB, Founder of 7 Summits Snacks, a women-owned and led superfood chocolate company designed to 'fuel your next adventure'.
A former school teacher, Elaine Tan Comeau, Founder of Easy Daysies, is one of four entrepreneurs selected for the first ever Canadian Stacy’s Rise Project class.
What does it mean to you and your business to be selected by the Stacy’s Rise Project?
I am thrilled, honoured, and grateful to have been selected. I have been needing help and direction for so long, and this incredible opportunity is like no other — a marriage of mentorship and a grant.
Finding a mentor can be a challenge for many women founders, and I’ve learned throughout my entrepreneurial journey that you can’t act on every piece of advice that is given to you. That’s why I am so grateful for the mentorship opportunity I have with the Stacy’s Rise Project – I’m able to connect with experts in product sales and marketing, and who will help guide me so this grant propels my business. That support is really priceless.
It’s very important to me that my kids know that no matter who you are, you should take risks to pursue your passions, innovate and help create solutions to problems. I want to be an example worthy of being followed, and I’m thrilled to be a part of the Stacy’s Rise Project community and to continue to share my story.
To learn more about the program and be the first to know when applications open for 2023, visit stacysriseproject.ca
This article was sponsored by
Stacy's Pita Chips
CAROLYN SIMON
Founder of Choose Life Foods, the home of plant-based Caribbean Goodness.
SCWIST Is Making Strides for Gender Equality at the United Nations
Accelerating gender equality and the empowerment of women is a core aspect of SCWIST’s vision for the future.
Ashley van der Pouw Kraan, SCWIST
In 2015, the United Nations committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Goal five focused on gender equality and empowering women and girls by 2030. Eight years later, barriers continue to prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential.
For Dr. Poh Tan, President of SCWIST and Dr. Melanie Ratnam, Vice President and Director of Policy, this is an issue close to the heart.
Poh, an entrepreneur, stem cell biologist, educator, and mother, has a twenty-year history of advocating for women and girls in STEM, while Melanie, a life science entrepreneur, neurobiologist and advocate, is deeply passionate about shaping government and workplace policies for women and girls in STEM.
“It’s estimated that 80 per cent of jobs in the next decade will require some knowledge of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), yet women and girls in continue to be underrepresented and held back in many different STEM sectors as a result of institutional and systemic biases that were created due to colonialism, industrialization, and historically dominant ways of thinking,” said Poh. “Thankfully, advancements and changes happening in today’s digital age are allowing innovators, researchers, scientists, governments and community organizations like SCWIST to come together to solve these challenges.”
SCWIST has been dedicated to creating an environment where women and girls are able to pursue their interests, education and careers in STEM without barriers since 1981, running a diverse range of high-impact programs, including mentorships, workshops, networking events, job boards, and advocacy work with the Government of Canada.
Moving the dial forward for women and girls in STEM This work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Poh and Melanie were both invited to contribute at the United Nation’s 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) in New York. The priority theme for CSW67 was ‘Innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls’.
“Gender equity has been at the heart of SCWIST’s policy and advocacy work since SCWIST’s earliest years,” said Melanie. “I’ve spoken with women in STEM throughout Canada about the barriers they face. These conversations have been very influential when we outlined gender-responsive policy suggestions at the national, provincial, and municipal levels. When the proposal to address a widening gender gap in the digital era was presented by the UN Secretariat General, SCWIST was ready to put forward recommendations.”
Although much progress has been made for gender equity over the last decades, there is still much more work to be done. SCWIST will continue to be a steadfast agent of change through empowering programs such as Make Possible, Make Diversity Possible, STEM Streams and Supporting Safe STEM Workplaces.
Upcoming Forum Geared to Encourage More Women to Find Careers in Manufacturing
With the intention to increase the number of women in manufacturing, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) is excited to offer their forum again this year. Taking place entirely online over the course of three days, more than 500 participants will get to hear from industry leaders, engage in panel discussions, and network with peers. It’s Canada’s largest conference that’s dedicated to empowering, advancing, and supporting women in this field.
The sessions will focus on what manufacturers can do to employ and retain more women in the workplace. Labour and skills shortages are the biggest issue facing the sector today, and the largest untapped hiring pool is women. Old stereotypes are being broken – last year, there were 521,000 women working in Canadian manufacturing, which is a record high since 2018.
Boundless opportunities
Projecting continued growth and increased opportunities, CME wants to raise the number of women in manufacturing by 100,000 by 2030. “The transition to net-zero and digitalization is expected to create new jobs that will require upskilling and reskilling to prepare our workforce,” says Dennis Darby, CME’s President and CEO.
They’re trying to end a longstanding history of being a traditionally male workspace by listening to the needs of female workers and making necessary improvements. A notable
A More Inclusive Future for Women in TV and Film? Corus Is Leading the Way
W Network is dedicated to showcasing strong, diverse characters and women’s stories via Corus Studios’ series, hit television programming, Hallmark films, and more.
Katherine Cappellacci
Achieving gender parity in any business isn’t possible without ample representation — women need to see what they can achieve. Especially in an industry that influences societal norms, it’s imperative that women in entertainment are seen working on screen and off.
There’s an ever-growing shift away from traditional film and TV storytelling, which for generations has largely been told through male perspectives. Well-rounded productions must include female-centred storylines that are created by women. Increased diversity draws in a more inclusive audience and makes the content itself is richer in quality.
Corus Entertainment’s Corus Studios is a leader in developing, producing, and distributing high-calibre, women-focused, Canadian film and TV. The studio’s women-led original content team believes it’s the company’s responsibility to celebrate, empower, and continue to uplift the female narrative.
Entertainment for everyone
“On W Network, we’re always in pursuit of series with strong female characters,” says Jennifer Abrams, Senior Vice President of Networks-Programming at Corus. “Purposefully acquiring Canadian content that reflects our audience is our biggest focus.”
Prime examples of its efforts include The Love Club and documentary Sex with Sue — both shows are created by award-winning female directors, writers, and executive producers. The Love Club is helmed by a female-owned production company, and both feature strong female leads telling compelling women’s narratives. Plus, the new diverse Hallmark Channel shows, movies, and programming events are designed to entertain women.
“Women are a crucial part of compelling story telling. Their perspective, lived experiences, and talent help fuel an inclusive narrative that resonates with viewers of all backgrounds and identities,” adds Lisa Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios. The organization is dedicated to amplifying Canadian-made work. As Godfrey explains, “We need the cast and crew to reflect the stories we tell and inspire the next generation of talent in our industry.”
A more inclusive future
Intending to reflect Canada’s diversity, Corus is carrying out a strategic action plan to create and foster lasting solutions that’ll ensure ample opportunities for marginalized groups. “We’ll achieve gender parity in key creative roles for all big-budget drama series by 2025,” says Abrams. “The company will collaborate with its partners to train, hire, and promote women and people from multicultural communities.”
Diverse and female-focused perspectives, lived experiences, and talent are crucial to creating inclusive narratives that resonate with wide audiences. Corus is proudly producing Canadian-made content that is upheld and built by women, for women.
resource is their Gender Inclusion and Diversity Toolkit, which provides a wealth of useful information to make a workplace more inclusive for everyone. They also provide Women in Leadership Training and various other initiatives to support women’s advancement.
“So, our work is clearly not over,” Darby adds. “We ask that Ottawa also focus on renewing and increasing funding programs to encourage more underrepresented groups to seek opportunities in manufacturing."
Find fulfilling employment
They’re maintaining momentum via the virtual 6th Annual Women in Manufacturing Success Forum from March 7th-9th. It’s through opportunities like these that more women will find meaningful work in an industry they may not be initially considering. “Manufacturing wasn’t my first choice when I graduated. I was a new grad trying to
get my foot in the door and I ended up in the industry,” says Alexandra Salzmann, a Sales and Applications Engineer at Berg Chilling.
“I’m glad I did because I never realized what an interesting career being in manufacturing could be. The behind-the-scenes look at how everyday products are made is fascinating to me.”
A Quality Manager at Labatt Breweries Canada, Angela Jessop wants young female students to know that “manufacturing isn’t dark, dingy, or dangerous — it’s exciting, ever changing, and you’ll never be bored. There’s always opportunity for continuous improvement.”
Jessop was the recipient of CME Nova Scotia’s 2022 Women in Manufacturing Leadership Award. “Young women may be hesitant to try for these manufacturing jobs but there certainly is a place for them and their
are needed.”
Jennifer Abrams Senior Vice President of NetworksProgramming, Corus
Lisa Godfrey Senior Vice President, Original Content & Corus Studios Dr.
