There is a new dynamic brewing in the corporate world, and it’s changing the roles that women conventionally hold in the workforce. Within the last century, women have made great strides to prove their rights and worth – including the right to vote, be educated and work.
Today, women are breaking boundaries, paving the way as leaders and making a difference. Women are positively impacting the corporate workspace with brilliant and innovative ideas, re-inventing businesses and the economy.
However, we still have a long way to go. Catalyst, a non-profit helping build workspaces that work for women, reported that in Canada only 35.3% of management positions were held by women in 2019. Moreover, full-time employed women earned a mere $0.89 for every dollar men earned.
The influence and power women have are extraordinary and investing in women will lead to great successes and fresh new ideas for your business.
One way to invest in women is by integrating gender themes into your investment portfolio, also called gender lens investing.
Gender lens investing is a type of investing that focuses on the social practices of a company. It involves investing in or fostering companies that actively work to benefit women, including female employees, customers and stakeholders – which helps create wealth and draw in investors whose values reflect this.
There are three methods that companies can use to attract potential investors:
- Have a large number of women in executive positions or on the board
- Institute pro-woman policies, such as pay equity, anti-sexual harassment and comprehensive family-leave programs
- Offer products or services that better the lives of women
UCW’S Women in Leadership MBA Award
As a national organization that recognizes the influence and power that women have in the workforce, GUS Canada makes it a priority to award and acknowledge the women who are reaching new heights and reinventing the status quo.
The Women in Leadership MBA Award, offered by University Canada West (UCW) in 2020 and 2021, is an example of how our institutions recognize awe-inspiring women making a difference and inspiring other young women to pursue their ambitions.
The scholarship was awarded to more than 25 women who showed exceptional potential for success as leaders, enabling more women to reach their academic, career and personal goals.
More than just through the Women in Leadership MBA Award, UCW also has created a work environment that supports women, including its hiring initiatives. Since July 2020, more than two-thirds of UCW’s senior leadership team are women and it has seen a 30% hiring increase of women since last year. In total, 65% of employees at UCW are women and 54% of UCW students are women.
As socially conscious and driven organizations, both GUS Canada and UCW will continue to invest in women and improve the workspace environment for all women.