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Dear Friends,

With the Spring season upon us, I am pleased to bring you the latest issue of the UN Women National Committee Canada (UNWNCC) newsletter. We have expanded a great deal in the past two years and now have active members in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Papineau, and Winnipeg. Our membership consists of a diverse group of professionals with skills from all sectors of society.

The goals of the UNWNCC remain raising awareness of UN Women’s programs and advocating on behalf of UN Women to world leaders, helping to drive an agenda that empowers all women to be active influencers on their societies. In support of these goals are the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEP) in partnership with UN Global Compact. This initiative enables business leaders to publicly commit to advancing gender equality through company policies. It is a great accomplishment. We at UNWNCC are proud to support this initiative by raising awareness about the importance of women’s economic empowerment.

I was deeply honoured to have received the 2013 Woman of Courage Award from Interim Place in February. I hope this honour will bring further recognition to the struggles of women who face violence in Canada and across the world.

As our influence and profile increases, we have to strengthen our capacity to respond if we are to meet these new opportunities. We must broaden and deepen our partnerships with our corporate sponsors and international partners if we are to grow. Our focus for the future will be to implement a corporate sponsorship drive with Canadian companies that share our goals. Because our people are our greatest asset, we also need to embark on a membership drive to strengthen us to take on these responsibilities. This is an exciting stage in the development of the UN Women National Committee Canada, and I look forward to taking the next step with you. The Board of Directors and I are deeply grateful for your continued support and your shared commitment to a more equitable world for all.

Warm regards,

Almas Jiwani

UN Women Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General, Michelle Bachelet, recently visited Mali to meet with senior government and civil society officials to discuss the increasing reports of violence, gender-based exploitation, political upheaval, and distressing human rights violations in the Northern regions of the country. Bachelet urged leaders to integrate Malian women in the restoration process, explaining that a peace practice that enables women to participate as leaders will create an inclusive framework to develop lasting peace, a stronger democracy, and development.

 

Following the announcement of her departure by Michelle Bachelet, founding Executive Director of UN Women, the UN Secretary-General has designated Lakshmi Puri, Assistant Secretary-General and UN Women Deputy Executive Director, as the Acting Head of the organization, until further notice. Ms. Puri took on her new role as of 26 March 2013

The Fund for Gender Equality is a unique fund dedicated to women’s economic and political empowerment. The fund delivers grants to women’s organizations and governmental partners to support women and girls. This past December, Michelle Bachelet announced $12.5 million in grants would be provided to 39 new grantees. Since launching in 2009, the fund has invested a total of $55.5 million USD to 94 programs in 71 countries. Selected programs include efforts to protect migrant women, train female candidates for elections, and support female entrepreneurs.

by Alanna Mager

Amanda Lang, senior business correspondent for CBC News, regularly contributes to The National, and sits across the desk from the incorrigible Kevin O’Leary on The Lang and O’Leary Exchange. She began her television career in 1999 at the Business News Network, and since that time has also worked at CNN. She spoke to UNWNCC about her career, success, and issues of women’s economic empowerment.

UNWNCC: What did your early work experiences teach you about work ethic and what it takes to get your dream job in a competitive job market?

Amanda Lang: I started working early – there was an assumption that we should earn our pocket money, so my first job was delivering the Winnipeg Free Press at the age of about 12. By 14 I had graduated to a job at a local Dairy Queen, and frankly my work ethic was pretty bad. In retrospect, it was more about goofing off than something to take seriously. Now that I understand how hard someone works to own a franchise business like that, and how reliant on good customer service it is, I feel quite badly about my work ethic. Fortunately, I matured out of it!

I think in some ways I was lucky to begin working in a profession that I had no qualifications for – when I first became a journalist I had zero training, having studied architecture. It meant I could never coast, or assume I knew things I didn’t. I had to fight hard for everything, and that made the rewards – getting my own beat, or the New York bureau – all the more satisfying to me.

UNWNCC: Did you ever face adversity due to your gender when you were starting out in journalism?

AL: Not starting out, but as a business journalist you are often in milieu that is very male – whether that’s the typical corporate boardroom or the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The best way to handle it was to ignore it – not take great offense if some trader called you “cutie” but not respond to it positively either. After a while those guys treated me like one of them – there to do a job.

UNWNCC: Did you ever find business journalism dauntingly male-dominated, and if so how did that affect you?

AL: I really didn’t. My first boss at the Financial Post was a woman, and there were lots of strong women in the newsroom. The first columnist I read regularly as a kid was Barbara Amiel, in Macleans. The idea that women could have a strong voice in journalism wasn’t a foreign concept at all.

UNWNCC: You speak a lot about productivity. Can you talk a bit about why productivity is so important for individuals, and how the female population of the work force can use productivity to their advantage (for economic independence, job stability, entrepreneurial success)?

AL: Productivity is the most important economic concept we have – it’s a measure of wealth. Quite literally, how are we using the resources we’ve been given? If productivity is going up, our collective wealth is going up, if it’s going down, we are getting poorer. It’s not about working harder, but smarter, and that’s something women can excel at. It’s about being open and curious to doing things differently. The qualities that make for great innovation – curiosity, collaborative skills, lack of ego – are very female qualities.

UNWNCC: What advice would you give to women struggling in the current job market? How can they market themselves or find their niche/place in a recovering economy?

AL: My advice to anyone in a market like this is to do the work you can. We can’t always wait for the perfect job, or the one we pictured, but working hard at something will bring benefits of its own. And then, be mindful of how fulfilling you find it. I often say if you aren’t happy doing what you’re doing, chances are you aren’t that good at it! If you can, finding the thing that will energize you every day is the best path.

UNWNCC: You also speak at length about innovation – which female innovators have influenced you most?

AL: One of the innovators in my book, The Power of Why, Julia Silverman (who runs Uncharted Play, which makes the amazing Soccket ball) is truly inspirational. Her passion isn’t just for the amazing thing she’s created, but it’s for the gift she gives when she actually spreads innovation. That’s the really great thing about innovating – it’s contagious.

 

On February 2nd, Interim Place, a community organization that provides shelter and support services for women, awarded Almas Jiwani, President of UN Women National Committee Canada, with the prestigious Women of Courage Award for her efforts in empowering and providing a voice to women all over the world. President Jiwani’s recognition has undoubtedly set the tone for yet another successful year for UNWNCC under her leadership. Previous recipients of the Women of Courage Award include Jane Fonda, Erin Brockovich, Dini Petty, and a host of other prominent personalities. As this year’s award recipient, President Jiwani spoke on the issue of abuse of women and girls around the globe.

On March 24th, Almas Jiwani was awarded the International Women Development Champion Award in Paris, France for her excellence and dedication to philanthropy. She is the first Canadian and first UN Women representative awarded this prestigious award. The International Women Development Champion Award is established to honour outstanding women that have demonstrated enduring commitment and consistent exemplary efforts in the economic development of African women. Past recipients include the President Joyce Banda of Malawi, Vice President Joice Mujuru of Zimbabwe, Business Leader Wendy Luhabe of South Africa, Her Excellency Ida Odinga, Wife of The Prime Minister of Kenya, and Rt. Hon. Anne Makinda, Speaker of Parliament of Tanzania, amongst other notable female leaders.

 

As of April 5th, only 1,000 days remain until the end of the 2015 target date for achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight MDGs – which range from halving extreme poverty to promoting gender equality to providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015 – form an internationally agreed blueprint which countries and leading development institutions have signed onto. Since their adoption in 2000, the MDGs have made a huge difference, helping to set global and national priorities and fuel action on the ground. They have raised awareness and shaped a broad vision for development work across the world. For more information: http://www.unwomen.org/news-events/in-focus/mdgmomentum/

Almas Jiwani recently addressed a prayer vigil organized to acknowledge the fatal atrocities committed against Jyoti Singh Pandey in New Delhi on December 16, 2012. Jiwani stated in her address that, “any form of violence against women is deplorable and should be fought as a collective entity around the globe. The violent attack against Ms. Pandey is an attack against all women and this is not only a women’s issue but also a fundamental human rights issue.” She highlighted that in order to challenge oppressive cultural and social norms in regard to the treatment of women, action must be taken not only at the local level, but also at the level of civil society and government. The organizer of the vigil, Ravinder Malhi, stressed that thanks to Jiwani’s outstanding track record of support for women’s rights and gender issues, her presence and speech at the vigil was particularly meaningful.

 

On April 5th, Almas Jiwani was part of a small group of 12 high ranking Canadian women leaders who joined Governor-General of Australia Ms. Quentin Bryce AC CVO, for a private lunch and discussion hosted by the Australian High Commissioner to Canada. Lunch guests included Her Excellency Mrs. Sharon Johnston, Chief Justice of Canada, the Rt Hon Beverley McLachlin PC, senior military personnel, government officials, health, and community sector representatives.

In Ottawa, Almas Jiwani met with 38 African Women Diplomat’s to strategize on the African women trade and Investment conference which will take place in Toronto on May 27th

Almas Jiwani was the keynote speaker and panel at the HSBC Bank of Canada’s Ontario Women’s Network event, celebrating diversity and inclusion month. The event included a screening of the documentary Miss Representation which explores how the media's misrepresentations of women led to the under representation of women in positions of power and influence. Almas shared UNWNCC’s perspective and experience around this to approximately 100 HSBC employees.

Editor : Rowena Calpito

Newsletter contributors: Cassandra Fong, Katherine Bryson, Laurentine Mefire Mouchingam, Allie Morse and Alanna Mager.

We are also grateful for the continued support from UN Women.

To join or donate to UN Women National Committee Canada please click here.