Equality for Innovation and Growth

Many women are dedicated to the well-being of their communities. They provide shrewd and strategic leadership insights, and their businesses drive local, regional, and national economic growth. These significant inputs are key to generating opportunities for a sustainable economy post-pandemic and beyond.

But economic sustainability is only possible through equality, and this is something that remains elusive for many women on several fronts. A sustainable economy leverages all its resources to create a healthy and thriving whole.

As a leader of innovative collaborative economic development, CEDEC knows how important it is to draw on the knowledge, skills, and resources of multiple economic sectors (public, private and civil society) to drive economic growth and affect change for the well-being of society. The equal participation of women in Canadian society draws on this principle, highlighting the need for collective effort to result in collective good.

Accordingly, in line with the United Nations’ 2022 International Women’s Day (IWD – March 8) theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” and the Canadian government’s theme “Women Inspiring Women”, CEDEC hosted a live Twitter chat on March 17 to discuss the importance of equality for innovation and economic growth.

We discussed what equality looks like to you, your community, and our economy and the role it plays in driving innovation and economic sustainability.

We explored how, as a society, we can build a future that is both equitable and sustainable and what the process to achieve that might look like.

Plus, we shared tips and best practices to inspire one another to lead and grow in both our personal and professional lives.

Have a read through the conversation to see how you can help us build better economies for better lives through collaborative, integrative action for a sustainable, equal tomorrow.

Questions we discussed

Q1: What does “equality” mean to you?

Q2: What would equality look like in an economic context?

Q3: What would a future that is equal and sustainable look like? Who needs to be involved to help get
us there?

Q4: As a society, what questions do we still need to ask ourselves that would lead to better equality?

Q5: What role does equality play in moving the needle on economic sustainability and/or innovation?

Q6: What happens if we leave equality out of the innovation equation?

Q7: What or who inspired your personal, professional, or spiritual journey? Was there one lightbulb moment or one thing a person said? How did that push you to the next level?

Q8: Each of our experiences are unique, but we can often find similar threads in someone else’s story.
What lesson(s) can you share from a past experience that could offer another woman a better understanding of how to navigate an unequal political/business/community/volunteer/boardroom
environment?

Q9: What is your top tip to help women identify their potential and leverage it to generate equitable, sustainable economic action?

Q10: As a man, what are some ways you can inspire women and support equality in the political/business/community/volunteer/boardroom environment?

Click here to read through the entire conversation.