Today, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park) proclaimed March 8 as International Women’s Day (IWD) in Toronto, a global day dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements around the world. IWD raises awareness of the challenges women face and determines ways to achieve gender equality. This year’s campaign encourages everyone to #EmbraceEquity.
The City of Toronto continues its commitment to celebrate women leaders on IWD. With 49 per cent of the City’s leadership roles occupied by women, ranging from Supervisor to Division Heads and above, the City is recognized as a top employer of women in Toronto. Yesterday, the City was named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2023, in recognition of its diverse workplace, as well as its inclusive and equitable culture. This is the seventh time that the City has earned this recognition since 2016. Toronto also ranked first on the Bloomberg women and cities ranking, performing well in categories related to safety, equality and maternity provisions.
The City is proud to celebrate IWD with numerous events and exhibitions across Toronto including in-person and virtual events, panel discussions and exhibits featuring compelling stories and photos. This morning, Deputy Mayor McKelvie will deliver opening remarks at the Toronto Network of Women’s (TOnow) hybrid event at Toronto City Hall. The event will feature inspiring speakers and engaging discussions on the theme of embracing equity. More information is available on the City’s TOnow webpage.
Additional City events and exhibitions celebrating the great contributions of women include:
The City continues to invest to achieve gender equality. Yesterday, the City announced the third cohort of the Women4ClimateTO Mentorship program to support the development of emerging female climate leaders in Toronto.
By providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants per year to female entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations, the City continues to support women in business.
The City continues to make significant strides to increase female representation in sport- through partnerships providing access to hockey skills and sport opportunities for girls across Toronto.
The City recognizes there is still work to be done to achieve gender equity. In addition to programs, policies, services and employee-driven communities of inclusion already underway, the City is currently finalizing its Gender Equity Strategy and first Term Action Plan (2023-2026). This corporate-wide strategy, once approved, is designed to eliminate intersectional gender inequalities experienced by Torontonians, allow for the development of new partnerships aimed at reducing gender inequities and track progress on reducing and eliminating gender inequalities in the city, while ensuring transparency and accountability.
Quotes:
“I am proud of the progress we have made so far on gender equity across sectors and in all spaces; progress that was earned by determined women throughout Canadian history. While we have made significant strides in the way of advancing women’s rights and equality, we still have a ways to go. It is important that we acknowledge the unequal experiences of different communities and the injustices exacerbated by the pandemic and other crises and commit ourselves to taking further action as a city and country.”
– Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie (Scarborough-Rouge Park)
“International Women’s Day reminds us that we must acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of women and raise each other up to create a more equitable society where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. As Executive Sponsor of TOnow, I am proud of the work my team is doing to empower women and helping to create gender equity by providing a supportive community and resources for women to develop professionally and personally.”
– Josie Scioli, Deputy City Manager, Corporate Services City of Toronto
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City’s website or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.