Country Harvest Raises a Toast to #AllBreadwinners

As part of the Country Harvest mission to Grab Life by the Grains, the brand is setting out to challenge the Breadwinner stereotype

TORONTO, June 24, 2019 /CNW/ - Starting today, Country Harvest, as part of their ongoing quest to empower Canadians to Grab Life by the Grains, is embarking on a mission to challenge the stereotype behind what it means to be a "breadwinner."

A recent study¹ commissioned by Country Harvest revealed that over 60% of Canadians still think that the term 'breadwinner' is masculine – despite the fact that, in 2019, many believe we've made progress in gender-role diversity. That same study revealed that:

• 37% of women feel pressure to uphold traditional gender roles at home
• 25% of single men think women should do the majority of childcare
• 43% of single women have experienced gender-based assumptions about their income
• 26% of men say they do the majority of the housework

The campaign, titled #AllBreadwinners, is designed to tackle the underlying expectation that women be nurturers and men make the money, a belief that doesn't reflect the true diversity of our country. #AllBreadwinners focuses on recognizing and respecting all the different breadwinners we have in our country.

"The #AllBreadwinners campaign is designed to tackle cultural perceptions to drive positive change," said Nicole Pekerman, Head of Marketing and Centre of Excellence at Weston Foods.

"Our bread, through high quality grains and seeds, helps consumers to take on the day by providing the fuel we need to face obstacles with confidence. Similarly, this initiative aims to provide the cultural fuel to remove barriers to success. We believe that when we celebrate all the ways there are to support a household, everyone can feel proud of their contributions."

#AllBreadwinners will come to life through video and social content that toasts all breadwinners. Content will highlight key statistics from Country Harvest's Canada-wide survey and aim to modernize the definition of a breadwinner by expanding the term to include anyone who supports their household with money, time, energy or love. The goal is to spark conversation while welcoming Canadians to share their own experiences.

In addition, Country Harvest has partnered with iHeartRadio for a first-of-its-kind podcast series entitled "Meet the Breadwinners." Hosted across multiple podcasts, the series will feature five real Canadians sharing their experiences as non-traditional breadwinners. These include:

• Angelica, the first black female stunt co-ordinator in Canada
• Sinthea, a first generation Canadian supporting her household independently
• Marcin, a stay-at-home dad
• Michael, a registered nurse and Zumba instructor
• Jessica, start-up executive and mom

For more information on the campaign, visit @CountryHarvestCanada or share your stories through the hashtag #AllBreadwinners.

About Weston Foods
As bakers, Weston Foods strives to elevate everyday moments for its customers and consumers. As a leading North American bakery company, the company bakes breads, rolls, donuts, pies, cakes, bagels, tortillas, cookies, crackers and more. Weston Foods produces many well-loved Canadian brands – Wonder, ACE Bakery, Country Harvest, D'Italiano, Gadoua, Casa Mendosa and Dave's Killer Bread, to name a few. The company also supplies ice cream cones and sandwich wafers to the dairy industry and produces U.S. Girl Scout cookies. Employing around 6,000 employees who proudly operate more than 40 bakeries across the U.S. and Canada, Weston Foods products are sold in North American retailers, supermarkets chains and foodservice outlets.

¹ Study conducted of English Canada, adults 18 years of age and older.

SOURCE Weston Foods

Erin Voth, Mosaic, Email: [email protected], Phone: [phone]