¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

March 8 is International Women’s Day – a day both to celebrate the achievements of women and to raise awareness about the inequality that women continue to suffer at home and around the world.

At ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, we have taken and continue to introduce measures to counter such inequality, and to promote the success of women throughout the university and the communities we serve.

We can be proud of the fact that, in 1974, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV was the first Canadian research university to appoint a woman pres-archiveident, Pauline Jewett. Today, we have strong repres-archiveentation of women on our Board of Governors, including a woman chancellor and board chair. In addition, almost half of our executive team, and more than half of our deans, are women.

The talent and commitment of these and other women at all levels of our organization contribute to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s success as a top Canadian employer and as Canada’s leading comprehensive university.

However there is still much work to be done.

In 2018, the Provost established the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, led by Special Advisor Kim Hart, to provide guidance to the university on governance, equity and inclusion issues. University-wide consultations are now underway, and faculty, staff and students are encouraged to participate in a Let’s Listen, Talk, and Reflect community conversation.

We have in recent years implemented a  and established a Sexual Violence Support & Prevention Office.  And we have developed an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan for the Canada Research Chairs Program.

Another important initiative has been ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV’s Emerging Thought Leaders Program offered by Shari Graydon of , which provides workshops, coaching and other support to help academic women build their profiles and have their voices heard. In addition, the university has partnered with Informed Opinions to host the Gender Gap Tracker, which uses big data analytics to measure gender inequality in Canadian news sources, and to close this persistent gap.

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV is also a mobilizer of Women Deliver, a global advocacy movement that champions gender equality and the health and rights of women and girls in Canada and around the world. From June 3 – 6, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV will participate in the 2019 Women Deliver Conference in Vancouver – the largest of its kind – and will be organizing a number of events leading up to this event.

And, in celebration of International Women’s Day, members of the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV community are participating in various events, including:

• A panel discussion entitled , moderated by Associate VP External Relations Sobhana Jaya-Madhavan and featuring thought leaders from diverse sectors (¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Surrey, March 8, 3:30 – 6:30 pm).
• An  conference featuring Governor General Julie Payette, FCAT Dean Aoife MacNamara, Director of Entrepreneurship Sarah Lubik, and Denise Williams of the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Board of Governors. (Anvil Centre, March 8, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm).
• A  conference at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue, featuring ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV engineering professor and NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering . (Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, March 7, 6:30 pm- 9:30 pm)

Many other individuals are doing important work on campus, such as the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Academic Women who support equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives, while helping to nurture and create supportive campus environments for all members of the community.

On International Women’s Day, and every day, talented women across ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, and across Canada, are breaking down barriers, raising awareness, and inspiring others to advance the inclusion and success of women and girls. It is our responsibility to support and celebrate their efforts, while continuing the work to create a more fair, equitable and inclusive society for all.