Women in Leadership Development (W.I.L.D.)!

15 Jun 2023

The initiative will kick off with two micro credentialed Mastermind groups. Each six-part group consists of foundational information to support and strengthen women leaders and female-led companies.

We’ve designed these groups to appeal to leaders at various stages of their careers.

There are self-assessment tools, goal setting and expert-led workshops in sales and marketing, finances and workplace wellness. Each group ends with a fun leadership development night. 

W.I.L.D. is open to women within Newmarket Chamber member organizations.

The initial program begins with two Mastermind cohorts of 12, launching this September. The application process is now closed. Stay tuned for more info on upcoming opportunities to apply.

Why a program for women?

Women make up roughly half the population but when it comes to our jobs, there are still significantly less women in leadership positions than men. Data from Statistics Canada indicates that “in 2021 women accounted for more than one-third (35.6%) of people aged 15 years and over employed in management occupations.” That’s up from 33.6% in 2001.

At the senior management level, women account for 30.9% (up from 24.1% in 2001).  According to the 2022 Zero Report, the Prosperity Project’s annual report card on gender diversity and leadership, women of colour hold just 6.2% of women-held positions (board, executive, senior management and pipeline).

As for entrepreneurs? According to the Government of Canada, just 17% of Canadian SMEs are owned by women.

When it comes to leadership and influence, women have made good strides over the last couple of decades but there’s still work to do.