Three-quarters of Canadian workplaces unprepared for post-COVID reintegration of women, finds Women's Executive Network (WXN)
TORONTO, May 21, 2021 /CNW/ - 76% of Canadian organizations surveyed in the Women's Executive Network 2020 Annual Report Card (ARC) have no formal plans to reintegrate women who left their workplaces for domestic, elder or child care roles during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"COVID-19 disproportionally affects women, particularly in BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ communities, and women living with disabilities," said Sherri Stevens, Owner and CEO of WXN. "Our findings show that companies must address the challenges created by the pandemic for women in particular, and make faster progress on EDI in general by examining recruitment and promotion strategies, implementing leadership and mentorship programs, and tracking diversity, especially for women and women in underrepresented populations."
The ARC, completed through partnerships with the Community Engaged Learning Program at Western University and NorQuest College's Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership, measures equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in Canadian organizations, with a focus on women in leadership roles, and key components that support or impede their career development.
WXN will present the ARC results and recommendations, along with emerging EDI trends, at their first annual Canadian Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Virtual Summit on May 26-27.
"Our research identified significant supports and barriers for women pursuing career advancement, particularly in the context of the COVID pandemic," said Karen Pennesi, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Western University. "Support from families and mentors is crucial. Opportunities for networking with other women mitigates some obstacles, but these have been reduced due to COVID."
"Organizations have, out of necessity, created or refined practices and policies that may have been on the radar for supporting women's progress, but have been thrown into high relief by the pandemic; the growing prominence of flexible workplaces and support for alternative work arrangements demonstrate this progress. As we look to recover from COVID-19, we must continue this reflection and enlargement in all areas that influence women's progress on the individual, organizational and deep cultural practice level." Lori Campbell, Principal at NorQuest College: the Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership.
For more information about WXN's ARC and Canadian Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Summit: https://wxnetwork.com/page/WXNCanadianEquityDiversityInclusionSummit
About WXN
Women's Executive Network (WXN) is Canada's #1 and only national organization that meaningfully propels and celebrates the advancement of women at all levels, in all sectors, and of all ages. WXN delivers this advancement through training, events, mentoring, networking, and award and recognition programs for members and partners. WXN currently operates in Canada.
About the Community Engaged Learning Program at Western University
Western's Community Engaged Learning program gives students an opportunity to apply what they are learning in the classroom to practical, everyday contexts. Course instructors collaborate with community partners, such as WXN, to facilitate projects that meet both pedagogical and organizational needs. Students from a graduate course on Research Methods in Sociocultural Anthropology, taught by Dr. Pennesi, developed skills in research design, interviewing and focus group facilitation, while providing valuable qualitative data about women's experiences in the workplace to inform WXN's Annual Report Card.
About NorQuest College's Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership
The Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership (CIIL) is located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and is the centre for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion expertise at NorQuest College. The CIIL provides a range of supports for organizations to cultivate workplace cultures that hold at their core, the value of inclusion, the potential of diversity and the centering of equity as foundational to learning, innovation and success.
SOURCE Women's Executive Network (WXN)
For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with Sherri Stevens, please contact: Garry Atkinson, Research and Analytics Manager, WXN, [email protected]
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