Why Equality Still Matters

2017-12-12T19:30:43+00:00October 19, 2015|Corporate, Guest bloggers, SHE Magazine|

Woman in b&w

I was recently invited to take part in a discussion about why it matters there are so few women on corporate boards of directors and in senior executive roles. At first, I was surprised we are still debating such a fundamental question. But as I pondered the theme, I realized there is still at least one critical difference of opinion about this topic.

I’ve interviewed many senior business men and women about their efforts to boost the number of women on boards, and they all agree improving diversity in senior roles is important because it improves their bottom-line profitability. The universal argument is: “It’s good for business.”

Straight Outta Misogyny: From the Big Screen to the Bigger Picture

2017-12-19T17:32:30+00:00October 16, 2015|Gender-based violence, Guest bloggers, Women in media|

Woman looking awayOk. I’m going to make a lofty attempt to connect the misogynoir* and misogyny in Straight Outta Compton - Dr. Dre’s violent past and Ice Cube’s women vs. bitches theory - to state sanctioned violence against women/female bodied people (FBP). This violence is in large part due to global socio-political histories that continue to impede women’s progress and autonomy, particularly racialized women.  I’m hoping that the more people who engage the topic of misogynoir/misogyny from this perspective, the more likely we’ll see a change in policy and social norms informed by the state*.

Twenty years ago, Dre assaulted Dee Barnes and other women.

T-shirt project teaches girls to wear confidence proudly

2017-12-19T17:33:06+00:00October 15, 2015|Empowering girls, Impact stories, SHE Magazine, Women in media|

One of the T-shirts created in the As We Are T-shirt project, by Lorna’s student, Yoyo. Photograph by Catherine Farquharson.What happens when you put girls in charge of the messages on their clothing?

All kinds of amazing things, discovered Lorna Jones, an elementary-school teacher in Toronto.

Lorna has watched girls develop confidence, awareness, creativity, and connection through the As We Are T-shirt project, which she developed with the support of Canadian Women’s Foundation and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

In As We Are workshops, girls age 9 to 13 are encouraged to analyze the messages they see in both clothing and in the media. Then, they get to brainstorm together and design T-shirts bearing positive messages.

What was your most empowered decision? 9 women share theirs

2017-12-19T17:33:51+00:00October 13, 2015|Corporate, SHE Magazine|

Question MarkThe theme of our latest issue of SHE magazine is empowered decisions. So we invited members of the Canadian Women’s Foundation community to tell us about a decision that made them feel bold, courageous, and independent!

Take a look, be inspired, then tell us about your own empowered decision in the comments section!