When More Canadian Women Reach the Top, We Can Really Celebrate

2017-12-19T16:57:45+00:00June 30, 2016|Corporate, Infographics, Posters, Women’s poverty|

Woman in officeCanada turns another year older tomorrow. We’ll celebrate by dressing up in red and white and gasping at fireworks as they explode in the sky. Canada Day is an exciting reminder of how far this country has progressed in the last 149 years. Yet despite the significant steps forward, women still haven’t reached true gender equality. In 2015, Canada was ranked 30th on the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index.

Today, women can legally vote, go to school, become doctors and lawyers, and run for political office. Women can, in theory, do whatever and be whoever they want. But in government and business leadership roles, there remains a significant gap between Canadian men and women.

Barriers Ahead: Violence Against Women with Disabilities

2017-12-19T17:03:11+00:00May 25, 2016|Gender-based violence, Infographics, Sexual abuse, SHE Magazine|

Woman thinking“How can you let someone treat you that way?

“Why don’t you report it?”

“Why don’t you just leave him?”

There’s a tendency for people to assume that women should be able to just get up and leave abusive relationships, or that reporting the abuse will immediately put an end to the situation, but it isn’t that easy.

How to Leverage Your Strengths

2016-04-05T13:17:49+00:00April 5, 2016|How to, Infographics, SHE Magazine, Women’s poverty|

Woman looking awayAre you too hard on yourself? Do you tend to focus on your limitations rather than your strengths? You’re not alone. As women, we often find it easier to see our flaws than our abilities.

But in my work with low-income women, I’ve learned the value of taking a more positive approach. For them, learning to recognize their ’hidden’ assets is often the catalyst to taking those first difficult steps out of poverty.

Every woman who attends one of the economic development programs we fund is asked to fill out a special questionnaire. It captures all of her assets—not just how much money she has but also things like friendships, self-confidence, and leadership skills. This approach is grounded in the Sustainable Livelihoods framework we’ve been developing over the past 15 years. The women learn first to notice all of their assets, then to leverage them to reach their goals. One participant said, “mapping my assets was an ‘aha moment’ and a positive way of looking at my current reality.”

Day 4: Leave? Easier Said Than Done

2017-12-19T17:27:01+00:00November 28, 2015|Gender-based violence, Infographics, SHE Magazine|

Woman looking at cameraIt’s one thing to come to terms with being in an abusive relationship.

It’s another to find a safe way out of that relationship when you have five young children.

For Christina*, who shared her story with SHE magazine, it required a huge leap over a chasm of uncertainties. There were safety, financial, legal, and emotional issues to consider as she tried to get through each day.

How can I end our marriage? What if he comes after me? How will I support the children? What if they miss their dad?