Algonquin President, Cheryl Jensen, and Student Association President, Sara Grainger, were among a group of about 100 community and thought leaders who attended the 2016 International Women’s Day breakfast reception at City Hall.
The gender ratio of the room was about 70:30 women to men, the inverse representation within management positions held in the real world.
That’s a relevant statistic as Mayor Jim Watson encouraged the room to make the “pledge for parity” during his address — a fitting opening given this year’s Women’s Day theme of Planet 50-50.
“Each of us can step up and be a leader in our own way, be leaders within our own communities to work toward gender parity,” Watson told the room.
The theme acknowledges a need for an increase in the representation of women in private boards and in senior leadership positions, “not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because having women’s voices at the table increases profitability,” Jensen said in an interview.
As members of Prime Minister Trudeau’s cabinet, both Catherine McKenna, federal Environment and Climate Change Minister, and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Status of Women, spoke to the guests. Each of the speakers focused on the theme of Planet 50-50 by highlighting mentorship and the empowerment of women.
“It is really important for all of us women to be role models, but to also be honest role models, honest about the challenges we face,” said McKenna.
At Algonquin, a group of faculty and staff are taking it upon themselves to make McKenna’s call to action a reality.
Women in Leadership Community of Practice is a group made up of both men and women who wish to share information and promote the status of women at Algonquin, ultimately putting the suggestions made by Watson, McKenna and Hajdu into practice.
“We want women who are in senior leadership roles to understand how valuable they are as potential mentors,” said Angela Lyrette, a member of the Community of Practice and professor and coordinator of financial, office and legal services at Algonquin.
Despite the urgency and importance for young women to acknowledge and strive for leadership positions, as laid out by each of the speakers at the Women’s Day Reception, there seems to be a lack of representation among the student population at Algonquin.
“Maybe people just don’t feel like they need a group to really advocate for themselves because it’s not maybe as much of an issue as it used to be,” said Grainger in an interview following the reception.
Karen Berkhout-Pluzak, first-year computer programming student, is trying to fill that void.
Pluzak is the coordinator for Women in Tech, the only acknowledged SA group involved in holding discussions and support sessions for women on campus.
There are not yet any members.
“Everyone is just so busy,” said Pluzak “I thought perhaps if we started this networking and support effort at the college level, even if we got dispersed across the country we could still connect with each other and help each other.”
However, the absence of student involvement in the discussion around women in leadership could be dangerous.
“If we don’t continue to have these conversations it could be very easy to slip back,” said president Jensen.