In recognition of International Women’s Day, our Women’s Forum held many exciting initiatives throughout the week. This year’s theme was pulled from the #InspireInclusion theme, and the UN Entity of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) theme of Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress, using the hashtag #investinwomen. Both themes aim to promote inclusion, equity, and equality at their core, and the UN Women campaign focuses on investing in women as an important factor in economic empowerment.
Resources
Throughout the week we shared some resources for people to refer to and expand their understanding of the topic of gender equity.
On March 7th, we streamed the CCDI webinar “International Women’s Day: Feminism is for Everyone”, a session that was well received last year.
We also shared information about community events related to International Women’s Day, along with educational resources and book recommendations.
Later in the month we plan to share a recorded version of the UBC Alumni presentation with Jennifer Wong, CEO of Aritzia, who spoke to their group about her own journey from shoe buyer to CEO, and how she fosters and creates an environment of inclusion as leader of one of Vancouver’s largest and best-known retail businesses.
Women Supporting Women
In the spirit of supporting and raising up our colleagues, we tried something new this year and shared “gratitude cards” with staff and lawyers, encouraging people to take a moment to write a note of acknowledgement to a female colleague who has made a difference in their professional life. The idea was straightforward; take the time to acknowledge the little things people do that make an impact. This simple act of being mindful of people’s contributions and giving or receiving thanks helps make everyone feel seen and appreciated and fosters an environment of empathy and gratitude for each other.
In addition to this initiative, every year our Women’s Forum chooses to support an organization doing work to support women and/or girls in our communities. This year, we chose The BeaYoutiful Foundation, a Canadian charity focused on empowering female and non-binary children and youth aged 8 to 14 through mentorship programs, workshops, and other community events across Canada. The programs inspire confidence and self-worth while building long-lasting friendships.
International Women’s Day Brunch
On Friday, March 8th, we hosted our annual brunch to recognize the achievements and contributions of all the women and female-identifying members of Alexander Holburn.
The morning started with a breakfast buffet and champagne toast served by some of our partners, followed by a speech from special guest Taylor Hui, founder of The BeaYOUtiful Foundation, who talked about the impact community donations such as ours have on the foundation’s ability to continue their work. Members of our Kelowna and Toronto offices joined us online for this event, and our colleagues out east also hosted their own, in-person brunch the day before in our Toronto office. Partner and women’s forum chair Laura Hanson mc’d the event and announced that Partner Menka Sull would be the incoming chair for the next term.
A special thanks to everyone who took part in the week’s activities, the Women’s Forum committee members for their support, and in particular to Laura for her leadership over the past two years.
Congratulations to Menka Sull on her new role as Women’s Forum Chair and Happy International Women’s Day 2024!
Click here to learn more about our Women’s Forum and the work we do.
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