Celebrating Successes in Gender Diversity

Dec 15, 2019

By Michelle Branigan

Anyone working in the electricity sector in Canada knows the reality of how few women we have in nearly every area of operations. As women have continued to grow their participation in the workforce over the past half-century, male-dominated industries like ours have must continue to make the necessary changes to diversify their workforces. The fact is conclusive that diverse teams are more productive and successful, and we’ve seen much more emphasis on the value of gender diversity in recent years.

At Electricity Human Resources Canada, we’ve recognized the need to advance gender diversity in effective and meaningful ways, which is why we developed the Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity: a framework to improve the representation of women at all levels of employment. Making meaningful change in any organization, large or small, takes time; nearly three years later, we’re now seeing substantial progress from our many accord signatories. Not only have signatories tracked a noticeable improvement in hiring and retaining women, they’ve also noted how it has improved their culture and the effectiveness of their work.

Any leader will tell you that it’s important to celebrate success. Likewise, case studies can be a great way to help encourage anyone who may still be uncertain about the value of investing in gender diversity. That’s why we’ve published Advancing Gender Diversity in Canada’s Electricity Sector: A Compendium of Success Stories. This compendium collects stories and testimonies from 18 different organizations that have used the accord to improve their gender diversity. This includes employers like Alectra, IESO, and Nova Scotia Power; educators like Algonquin College; labour organizations like the Society of United Professionals; industry associations like Women in Renewable Energy; and important sector partners like Gowling WLG. Together, these stories illustrate that improving gender diversity is not just possible, but invaluable.

Whether your organization is well underway in addressing gender diversity, or about to take its first steps, I hope that you will read the compendium. It includes a wealth of inspiring and practical examples, and speaks to the reasons why organizations made the commitment to sign the accord in the first place. When you’re ready to follow these successes by signing the accord for your own organization, you can visit our website to learn more and connect with us. EHRC is here to help you succeed with your diversity and inclusion efforts.

Michelle Branigan is CEO, Electricity Human Resources Canada.