WCT Launches Blueprint to Foster Gender Diversity
Ottawa, September 12, 2016. (PRWEB) September 12, 2016 -- Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) launched a new initiative today that will produce a Blueprint for Women’s Leadership in the Digital Economy. The process got underway today with a roundtable discussion in Ottawa among experts in the engagement and advancement of women in digital industries.
Over the next six months WCT will conduct a total of six roundtable discussions in cities across Canada. The consultations will guide WCT to identify those strategies and programs that are most effective in increasing the numbers of women engaged in digital industries, advancing their careers and delivering employers the business benefits to be gained from gender diversity. WCT will analyse this input, conduct original research and produce a report in late 2017 that will guide women and employers on the best programs and strategies to include in career development.
“This blueprint will be a major component of WCT’s Up the Numbers campaign to reach gender parity in the digital economy,” said Joanne Stanley, Executive Director of WCT. “Everything that WCT does is dedicated toward increasing the number and influence of women in digital industries. Because more diverse organizations are proven to perform better, achieving this goal will not only help women, it will strengthen our whole digital nation. So it’s important to know what works best to deliver this outcome. The Blueprint Project will help us to do this.”
“We, along with our partners and associates, deliver a broad array of programs in women’s professional development and career advancement,” she said. “It’s important to understand what works best. The roundtables we are conducting will allow us to hear directly from women and employers about what has made a difference in their careers and their workplaces. It’s also important to discover any gaps in program delivery that organizations like ours can fill. The roundtables will be a rich resource for understanding the current state of play in gender diversity in the digital sector.”
Corinne Charette, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada helped kick-off the project with a keynote address to the Ottawa roundtable participants. Prominent leaders in the WCT community will be featured guests at subsequent roundtables. The schedule is as follows:
- October 25, in Calgary featuring Margot Micaleff QC, entrepreneur, author and President of Oliver Capital Partners
- October 27, in Vancouver featuring Anne Giardinni, the Chancellor of Simon Fraser University
- November 22, in Toronto featuring Mary Ann Turke, President of Bell Media
- February 9, 2017, in Montreal featuring Louise St-Pierre, President and CEO of Cogeco Connexion.
The final roundtable will take place in Halifax in the Spring of 2017. WCT expects to issue its report “A Blueprint for Women’s Leadership in the Economy in the fall of 2017. This project is made possible by funding from Status of Women Canada and additional support from KPMG and Microsoft Canada.
Mathea Stevens, Women in Communications and Technology, +1 (613) 706-0607 Ext: 103, [email protected]
Share this article