In the year 2014, Canada struggles having women in corporate
boardrooms, why is that?
Globe and Mail posted an article not too long ago "New
rules aim for equality in Ontario’s corporate boardrooms" wherein they
stated that "At least nine countries have some form of quota for women on
boards, and many others have disclosure and reporting rules. Canada has none,
although the Quebec government requires parity on boards of provincially run
Crown corporations and agencies."
For a progressive first world country it truly seems
disappointing that we do not have a proactive initiative to champion women in
our corporate world defying the gender gap. There are a discouraging number of
women at the C suite level in Canada today.
Even a country like India which people perceive to be an
archaic traditional country proves us wrong, they recently implemented
regulations to have a minimum of one woman director by October 2014, they have
risen to make an effort for equality in the business place in its true sense.
The US earlier this year, implemented an equal pay Act which
requires that men and women in the same work place be given equal pay for equal
work, the "gender gap" in pay persists.
Where is Canada in all of this? What are we doing to show
our women workforce that there is hope and equal opportunity? Having worked in the
Commercial Real Estate space in Canada for several years, I have struggled to
find C suite women leaders in any of the real estate or investments organizations
especially at a Board level. Of course I am speaking on behalf of a single
industry, however Commercial Real Estate and Investments is one of the major
industries that impacts our economy and comprises of a large portion of our
corporate world. This industry makes no excuses nor acknowledges that a gender
gap exists; in fact they are almost oblivious of this issue.
I think it is time that Canada took some bold steps like its
peer countries and created space for women in the C suites, but most importantly, more women need to take
things into their own hands. This means asking to be considered for a board
seat on the companies they help create, build, and acquire. It also means not
shying away from voicing their professional desires, ideas, opinions, and even
objections.
Canadian women need to raise this issue and drive
the change; women need to champion other women and provide a ladder to break
that glass ceiling to move upwards, such actions will force change, creating
leverage compelling change in overall regulations.
