International Women's Day: Celebrating Female Leaders Forging Change

Today is International Women's Day (IWD)—a day to recognize and celebrate women’s and girls’ social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.

The year’s theme is embracing equity. IWD does an excellent job unpacking the term ‘equity,’ often used interchangeably with ‘equality.’ While ‘equality’ means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities, ‘equity’?recognizes that each person has different starting circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: why am I, a male, writing about International Women’s Day? The answer to that question is that IWD invites people of all genders to take part because this day “belongs to everyone, everywhere.”

We can all actively support and embrace equity from our sphere of influence. I wholeheartedly believe men play an essential role in this day. I’ll go even further to say that our part in supporting gender equity and equality should never stop.

It can’t stop because, according to a new United Nations Report , full gender equality is still centuries away. Much work remains to ensure future generations live free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination.

Historically, men have held positions of privilege, which afforded us different opportunities compared to our female counterparts. It’s not something many men want to talk about or know what to do about.

Still, the good news is that more and more men are becoming conscious of their gender biases and becoming clearer about using their actions to inspire progress. When we know better, we can do better to support our colleagues, friends, sisters, mothers, and daughters. ?

At the very first IWD held on March 19, 1911, in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland, men attended public events alongside women to show their support for women’s equal participation in society. In the 112 years since IWD has become an international movement for change and I hope this important tradition of support never ends.

Today, I am continuing that tradition of elevating and celebrating the contributions of women by telling you about three incredible female leaders I have met and you need to know about. One IWD mission this year is to elevate women forging change via technology and sustainability in communities, workplaces and beyond.

I am fortunate to work with many exceptional female leaders moving the needle on gender diversity and equity in their industries and communities. Today, in honour of IWD, I celebrate three of them, their voices, and their contributions.?

Candace Newman on Forging Change Through Gender Balance in the Oil and Gas Industry?

I believe that gender balance in the oil and gas industry is the only way our industry will continue to exist and thrive in the future.

We know that diversity of thought and perspective drives better business decisions.

You only have to look at the business results for companies with at least three female board members against the performance of their peers. There is a strong business case for gender equity.

The industry has succumbed time over time to a “boom and bust” reality where we inevitably encounter significant labour shortages.

At best, we are tapping into 26% - 33% of women within this industry. In the trades, the challenge can be more significant regarding labour availability.

Female representation is bleak at somewhere between 5%-7% on average. Imagine what could be accomplished if we balanced the current 93% male participation. Oil and gas workers are well paid. Women in this workforce would make significant changes in pulling more vulnerable populations out of poverty.?

Some of my proudest moments forging change in the oil sands have included championing diversity and inclusion strategies with bold objectives.

For example, one company aimed for 50% female representation in their workforce. More than “talk,” this strategy had “teeth” in the target where leaders were held to these performance goals. We achieved 50% female representation, strengthening the company’s position to stay the course and construct a world-class project.

Another project I was incredibly proud of was working towards female representation in non-traditional occupations in the industry. We aimed to double the number of women in the trades through carefully designed programs and campaigns.

I was thrilled to play a leadership role in achieving our goal. The conditions under which these women would be successful required advocacy from senior leadership and some excellent male role models and allies whom I have been very grateful to know and work with.

About: Candace Newman is an energy executive with 24+ years of experience in the financial services and energy industries. Candace has been involved in megaproject development, significant mergers in the Canadian market, and business transformation. She currently leads the HR function for one of the largest energy companies in Canada.

Crystal Smith on Forging Change in Politics, Business, and Communities?

As women, we must lead by example and champion the inclusion of all demographics and knowledge acquired from different life experiences.

This only enriches the decision-making processes, whether it’s in the boardroom or within our communities. Being an Indigenous woman with all the life experiences I’ve endured empowers me. It inspires me to be a voice that moves the dial on change internally and externally, not only for our Nation but for all Nations.

I am honoured to serve as the second female Chief Councillor of Haisla Nation, with our first being Dolores Pollard, elected in 2009-2011. When I reflect on my career and life, a couple of moments stand out for me where I was proudest of my work as a change agent.

The first is our work as a Nation to lead in collaboration with other Indigenous communities. For far too long, our communities were in-conflict due to external factors. By working together and forging a new path as a collective, we’ve overcome some of those differences and worked towards one common goal—what is in the best interest of all our members.?

Another moment that stands out for me is a personal highlight. My oldest daughter, Ashley, my Uncle Milton (who helped raise my twin sister and me), and other family members shared a picture of me on their social media platforms after a speech I gave at the Natural Resources Forum in Prince George.

They expressed their pride in me for my passion, work, and commitment to our Nation. These special moments remind us that it’s not just about what we do as women in our mission to forge change but about whom we do it for.

About: Crystal Smith has served the Haisla people for more than 13 years through her work with Haisla Nation Council, followed by being elected Chief Councillor in 2017. In November 2019, Crystal was named Chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance, a group committed to encouraging First Nations development of the LNG industry to provide employment and other sustainable benefits for BC’s Indigenous people.?

Crystal advocates for Haisla Nation-owned joint ventures and limited partnerships, supporting participation in major projects in Haisla territory. Using these opportunities provides Haisla membership rewarding work and educational opportunities to enhance their skills and improve the social conditions for all Haisla members. Ultimately, she wants the work done today by her and all of the Haisla Nation Council to benefit today’s 1900 Haisla members and future generations.

Liz Allen On Forging Change in Sustainable Chemicals by Embracing Difference?

The Energy industry is tackling world-scale problems, and this needs world-scale representation at the table.

Although being a woman?in a traditionally?male-dominated world can sometimes be uncomfortable, "different" is what we need. After all, when did we feel that doing things the same way would see us deliver a different?outcome?

I’ve repeatedly seen that women can bring a different?perspective, an essential one that comes from an innate ability to listen and connect people in a way that brings new ideas to the table. Today, I am pleased to say I am at the table, making decisions to bring more sustainable chemicals?and business solutions to life.

Listening, connecting, and holding the space for all the ideas to be brought out has never been more critical, especially with women representing half the world's population. ?

Perhaps even more important, I’ve realized that I'm in a position to inspire others to think differently about the future. About how they can have an impact and make a difference.

The world's population is at risk if we don't find a solution to bring clean, affordable, low-impact energy solutions to the table. And as a female leader, I am incredibly proud to see other women stepping up to tackle the greatest challenge of our times alongside our colleagues.

One of my proudest moments was changing how we did things resulting in creating significant outcomes, which happened while I was working in Western Canada.

The site Emergency response team saw an opportunity to offer services to a neighbouring site. This act of leadership helped them see they could reinvent a future for themselves while at the same time bringing better business solutions to the industry.?

About: Liz Allen is an experienced leader, board member and business manager with a demonstrated history of working in the oil and energy industry in various roles, including business management, business development, strategy, and technology licensing. She is passionate about driving transformational outcomes that impact employees, customers, and society.

To learn more about IWD and how we can work together to forge women’s equity, please visit www.internationalwomensday.com and follow #EmbraceEquity .?