For Paulette Senior, President and CEO of the Canadian Women's Foundation, her early experience moving from her grandmother's home in Jamaica to Toronto as an 11 year old girl has been formative. Even today, this very personal journey continues to meaningfully influence her professional work as a nationally respected advocate and thought leader dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers and building up diverse women and girls.
In this episode Paulette Senior joins host Katharine Cornfield to share her inspiring personal and professional journey; elaborate on the vital work to underway at the Canadian Women's Foundation; and explore what the future might look like for a new generation of girls and young women. Listen in to learn why it's never too early to support girls' well-being, why advocating for societal change is a long game, and what role you can play in creating gender equality every day.
Episode Highlights:
For more from ambiSHEous™ and the Beginner Women Podcast, follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @ambiSHEous or receive updates straight in your inbox by subscribing to our newsletter
Recommend Resources:
Unknown Speaker0:02
Welcome to Beginner Women, a podcast where we throw out our adult agendas and focus on what it takes to shape a new future for girls and young women. From education and career to health and wealth. We talked to experts, thought leaders and extraordinary women who will change the way you think about girls, women and ambition. here's your host, Katharine cornfields.
Katharine Cornfield0:25
Welcome to Beginner Women. I'm Katharine Cornfield, founder of ambiSHEous and that's ambiSHEous with a she where we take a unique approach to leadership and career development. We've helped hundreds of girls and young women to develop autonomy agency and purpose by equipping them with the critical skills and knowledge they need to thrive today and in tomorrow's world. We started this podcast because we know how important everyday role models are. And we want to empower you parents, educators and other caring adults with smart, actionable strategies to help the beginner with Men in your lives reach their full potential. Thank you so much for joining us. Welcome back to Beginner Women. Thank you so much for joining us. Today's guest is none other than Paulette Senior the president and CEO of the Canadian Women's Foundation, a national non-profit organization that aims to end violence against women move low income women out of poverty, and to empower girls. She joined the foundation in 2016 after serving a decade as CEO of YWCA Canada, and has devoted her life and career to breaking down systemic barriers and building up diverse women and girls. Her long standing interest in social justice is grounded in her lived experience immigrating to Canada, from Jamaica, as a child, as well as her early work in social services and some of Toronto's most underserved neighborhoods. She witnessed the need for systemic change and learned the power of putting the voices of women and equity seeking communities first, over the course of her fascinating and very impressive career. Paulette has worked with all levels of government and civil society to address issues including poverty, housing, gender based violence and immigration. In addition to a multitude of board seats, awards and honors Paulette is widely respected and sought after as a thought leader on a variety of issues critically important to girls and women. So today, we're going to touch briefly on Paulette’s inspiring personal and professional journey. Hear more about the current state for girls in Canada, dig into the challenges they face it as they transition into adulthood. And last but not least, I'm looking forward to exploring the link between empowering girls and closing the gender gap in leadership. And who better to ask than Paulette, so obviously I could not be happier today to be hosting Paulette. And it is an honor and a privilege to be having this conversation. So thank you so much for joining me today.
Paulette Senior2:51
Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me.
Katharine Cornfield2:54
Well, I'm very much looking forward to diving in. So let's get started. You are very forthcoming about the extent to which your personal experience as a young newcomer to Canada has influenced your professional path, both your approach to advocacy and leadership. And I gather that you were just 11, a very young girl when you moved from your grandmother's home in Jamaica, to join your family here in Canada. Can you take us back and tell us what that was like?
Paulette Senior3:21
Sure. So that was in 1973. My grandmother had just passed away, everyone else in the family who had already relocated to Canada. So I was the last sibling out of six. And I was number three to come and join my family. And, you know, it was a hard time for the fact that I've lost my grandmother who I was very close to, but also that I was coming to a whole new culture and while it was exciting to be joining my family, and come into Canada, which is a new country, and You know, I grew up as a country girl. So, you know, coming to big city like Toronto was quite a, quite an experience an unforgettable one. And it's a day that I still sort of have embedded in my memory.
Katharine Cornfield4:16
I bet that is two levels of very significant change. And I have read that you struggled a little bit with the culture shock, but also the experience in a new school. Can you tell us that story?
Paulette Senior4:28
Sure. So the culture shock was one where I came where everyone else looked like me. For those who are listening may not know I am an African Canadian black woman. So I came where I am seeing mostly most of the white folks at the time because you're talking about the 70s. So Toronto was not as diverse. So I'm seeing a lot of folks who didn't look like me. And so that was a little shocking, but I'm also seeing and go into a school system that was also very different from where I came. So I went to a very, didn't think it was small then but compared to where I came, it was very small to much bigger school here. I immigrated and my parents bought a home. Before I came, the St. Clair areas I went to a public school in that era in Toronto. Yeah. And it was a great community because a lot of new immigrant families are starting to come to Canada, but also the school system was very different from a lot of us because, you know, I went to school with friends and here you know, had to make new friends but also had to get used to teachers who didn't know my family, didn't know my grandmother and who looked nothing like me. So that was very challenging and, and I also came from a system where I was doing very well academically. As a student, you know, skipping grades and had a really bright future academically in front of me to a system that really didn't see me as valuable or bright or capable. And then I was streamed into a lower level grade at that point. So it was very challenging. I had to really try and understand who is this new person that they're saying I am, because I don't know that person at all.
Katharine Cornfield 6:27
Wow. Interesting. So you've described that very well. And even though it was a while back, I suspect there are many people and young women in particular who can still relate to that experience and we are very inspired by the path that you have walked in and the fact that you've overcome those early challenges in the way that you have, are you able to elaborate a little bit on how this informs your work?
Paulette Senior 6:55
Sure. First of all, I know what it's like to feel excluded. I know what it's like to move to a whole new society. I know what it's like to feel as if I'm the only one going through something bad is so negative and, and I, I know what it's like to feel as if, you know, no one really cares or could actually see me for who I am. And that experience can be very disarming, it could really impact your self esteem, your confidence in yourself, belief that you are capable. It could really rip apart all the thoughts and ideas and self esteem that you had built up to really being challenged to either accept what people are saying you are or that struggle between You aren't fully could really the external perception of you could replace the internal confidence that you came with, you know, so that's what the experience was like for me. And I had that struggle right through my academic years, all the way through high school, because that's a pretty tough thing to overcome. But along the way, I also met some folks who really saw parts of me that they believe that there was something there, you know, I'm thinking of my grade seven teacher, for example, who said, you don't belong in the lower level grade. I don't know why you're here. So I'm going to put you right back into the regular stream. And I'm so thankful that she saw that in me and did that. But even so, the remnants of what I experienced just within the first year of being in Canada was still With me, you know, and with me for years to come.
Katharine Cornfield9:04
I mean, I can't imagine that feeling. It's not one that that I experienced having been born and raised in Canada. But I can certainly appreciate that would give you a tremendous sense of empathy, and an ability to relate so closely to the folks that you've worked with, over the years in the communities and in around the issues and now with the Canadian Women's Foundation. So I'm going to actually take a minute now to sort of zoom out and situate our audience in your current work. So the Canadian Women's Foundation. So as I understand is laser focused on helping those who identify as women girls are non binary and that your mandate is as CEO is to bolster an inclusive national movement for all women, girls and communities across Canada. And to an outsider, it seems that the Canadian Women's Foundation is really funny. Focused on transforming lives through funding critical programming capacity building, as well as advocating for systemic change. But can you take us a little bit behind the scenes and tell us more about the scale and the scope of your work, what your focus areas are, what might be different about the approach and a little bit about the impact of that work?
Paulette Senior10:22
Sure, I'd be happy to. So I'm very honored to be working at the Canadian woman foundation. That's an organization that's been around for almost 30 years. In fact, next year 2021 will be our 30th year in Canada. And it was started by several incredible bold woman back in 1991, who really wanted to, I guess, have an impact, direct impact on women, helping supporting women to achieve the ultimate goal of gender equality in all aspects of their lives. So there couldn't be a more bold, brave and auspicious vision for an organization to step into. And so there are a couple things that we that we do and do well and have grown over the years is that we raise money from a number of different sources from individuals, corporations, foundations, we raise several million dollars per year. And then we also grant out several million dollars per year. And areas of granting. Our focus areas include women's economic development, so we fund programs that work with women in communities throughout Canada, whether it's to start their own businesses to learn new skills, etc, etc, to really bolster their own economic independence. We also fund programs for women in the areas of leadership development, so for women to lead in their own life, we fund programs in the area of girls empowerment. And for us that's really about supporting girls and young women who are transitioning from childhood to adolescence and then into adulthood with the skills that they need to be able to decide for themselves, who they want to be to build their self esteem. And for them to also end in the process become leaders in their own lives and in their communities. And gender based violence is the is the fourth area so violence prevention work addressing gender based violence, supporting organizations that are working in those areas, throughout the country, from shelters to community based programming, etc. So all the areas that work at work with women in terms of keeping them safe in their communities, in their homes, wherever they may be,
Katharine Cornfield13:08
that is a very bold, as you say, an ambitious agenda for a single organization and you cover sort of a very real breadth of issues. And you do that through not just the funding, but the advocacy as well. And so, I know that the foundation is research driven and evidence based. I know that because I go to your website frequently. And you have collected a great deal of sort of data to support the work you do in those areas at ambiSHEous. I too, and we are preoccupied with those same issues, especially as they relate to girls and young women from 13 to 30. And so it's kind of an opportunity I can't really miss and conversation with you is I would love for you to share Your perspective, your view, based on your work, but also the research of the foundation to give us sort of the lay of the land. What is the current state for girls in Canada? What do they face in terms of challenges and barriers to to achieving their full potential?
Paulette Senior14:20
Mm hmm. Well, I think both through the work that you do ambiSHEous and the work that we do, and many other women's organizations to throughout the country, particularly those at community based, grassroots level, you know, the working with girls is really an opportunity to learn about what it is that they're facing in their own lives. And some of the things that we're seeing through our own research and information gathering is that we know that girls and boys when you know when they get to a certain age, around the You know, 5, 6, 7 they're kind of like on the same level when they think about how they feel about themselves, how they feel about the world that they live in, you know, their, about their capabilities. We find, though, that when girls start to move into the older age from 12, 13, into their teens, that level of self esteem dropped significantly, you know, and, and that they start to feel as if they can't do math, for example, that they're not as bright, that they're not in fact leaders or capable of standing up you know, and speaking and you know, so they start to feel as if they are not as important as boys. Right and therefore, you know, all the messages that they receive from the environment, whether it be the media, whether it be different Sources social media, all you know the messages that we carry around with us that sometimes as adults, we don't even know we carry that around or send those messages to girls, that that they actually start to take that in and then shy away from opportunities to actually sign. And so for us, that's, that's an important piece of work that we do when we fund programs in communities across the country to support girls who actually believe in in themselves to engage in program activities that demonstrate that they are indeed bright and capable, that will build their self esteem through various programs, that that that we fund. So for us, that's an important piece of work because women's lives. It's a continuum from childhood and girlhood to adulthood and womanhood. And so we, we, we want to be able to support them throughout the process, that that we can address a number of things. So we know, for example, we don't even have to do the stats. But we know that when it comes to leadership, whether that be in politics or business, or in even the organizations that we work in that woman are not in those leadership positions, that we need to be at the level that we need to be at. Right. And so, you know, for us that that's an important piece of that demonstrates that the gap that exists in leadership, we also know that women are not earning anywhere near what they need to be earning for work of equivalent value. You know, the stats are really clear in some of these issues. And we know that it starts from those messages though, the socialization messages that they're receiving from girls right to their young woman stage and into into adulthood, that these messages have a devastating impact. And it shows up in the stats that we're seeing. Right? Well, that's one of the reasons that we exist in terms of demystifying some of these myths that continue to be perpetuated in several aspects of society.
Katharine Cornfield18:22
You are singing my song, I have to say because what you describe, I think, is that sort of perfect storm that happens to young girls, as they sort of transition from childhood to adolescence where they have, they're experiencing higher levels of sexual assault and other forms of gender based violence they are seeing decline as you say, in their mental health and wellness as well as their confidence with a combination of probably the result of stress which we know about and also just the intense scrutiny on their appearance. They are navigating a world of cultural messages with negative stereotyping and over sexualization, and those obviously have impact. So, when it comes to girls empowerment, you're recognizing that continuum and that roadmap from sort of learner all the way to leader. The programming that you fund is primarily targeted at girls nine to 13, as I understand, yeah, and that is because I gather that you are intending to sort of it's an early intervention. And I have I have two questions around that early intervention. The first is, what do you know about the impact of that early intervention over time? And second, what do you answer because I get the question too, what is your answer to why are you focusing on girls only when we know that there's a an ongoing and growing public discourse around involving more men and boys in the conversation around gender equality. So it's two questions the first around what is the impact of the early intervention? And the second, why girls only?
Paulette Senior20:09
All right, so happy to answer both of those questions. You know, because the programs that we fund let me just back up from all the programs that we fund teaches girls various skills and what I would call essential life skills. So self confidence and resilience, leadership and empowerment, critical thinking, media literacy, we know the media has a have a field impact, connectedness, engagement in their school communities, developing skills, indigenous culture and sense of identity. Stem is a huge area in terms of really learning about how to engage in, in learnings around science, technology, engineering and math for those kinds of programs. We fund programs in the area, as well as physical activities and sports because a lot of young people got to learn many skills when they engage in sports activities. So those are some of the specific areas that we fund programs and it teaches girls these different skills. What we know is that the youth who go through these programs, about 90% of them say that they learn to recognize signs, for example of abuse. So one of the areas that we teach them is what a healthy relationship looks like, for example, what's involved in the healthy relationship because we know that gender based violence really has a long term impact on women but a lot of the impact the negative impacts actually start from very young ages where it has to do somewhat with believing in oneself, having confidence in oneself, and being able to know how to choose the right partner. Right, and being able to recognize the signs of what is an unhealthy relationship. So we have a program funding area that call unhealthy relationships. And to answer your question about why on the girls, this is a program that focuses on all gender, so girls, boys and non binary, young people. And so this is an important area of funding because for me, gender based violence is one of the most serious impact on people's lives, and on particularly on women's lives. So when we can get young people together to recognize what the signs of a healthy relationship is, this is the prevention work that I think we need to do. So we know that when they go through this program, for example, about 90% of them say that they have learned what the signs are, and that they have the confidence to actually be able to spot it and be able to not choose those kinds of relationships, then we have programs that only focus on girls. And we don't apologize for that. Because it's important based on the stats that we know it's only 33% of girls between nine to 13 say that they're feeling confident that we have a problem because the problems, as you said before, has to do with mental health, has to do with how they feel about themselves. And so and these stats are in comparison to boys. So if girls are saying only a third of them are feeling like they're confident, then these programs are unapologetically targeting girls to really rebuild their self esteem. And, because I think that's one of the routes that we need to take in terms of addressing the overall issue of gender equality, that girls and young woman, adolescent girls can actually stand up and be able to fully participate in their lives, in their communities and be able to even eventually run for different political positions. And at the end be able to make critical decisions about society and knowing that these are some of the skills that are really important for their own for their own development.
Katharine Cornfield24:23
I like what you said about being unapologetic about sort of those targeted interventions with girls. That might be something I quote you again, in saying because I feel the same way and I have with ambiSHEous we have this very similar philosophy about that early intervention and giving girls and young women an opportunity to sort of spot stuff and understand it before it becomes an issue and our emphasis is more on their economic independence. So we do a lot of work around sort of financial literacy. And business literacy and civic literacy and that sort of thing. But really with the same long view is the sooner the better that they understand and know these things and the more empowered they are and equipped, frankly to make choices that will ensure that they thrive but also enable them to build those building blocks of confidence as they go. So our audience, as I said, is primarily parents and educators and mentors of girls. What's the good news? What does the future look like in your mind for girls and young women given the work that you're doing, given the world we live in today, despite the strong societal and cultural forces that that face girls what what's your experience with them on the on the front line?
Paulette Senior25:45
You know, we've had the opportunity to work directly with some girls from different programs that we fund and we brought them in to share their messages with us around what you know, what is life can be. What's exciting about being girls and, you know, I've had the opportunity to be in the same room with these girls. And I can tell you, without a doubt that I am confident in the future for girls. I'm confident in the future for young woman, I'm confident the future for what women will be able to achieve in society. So I think the future is open and boundless. I think that we need to continue investing directly in programs for girls and advocating for change and amplifying the conversations that we need to be amplifying to demonstrate the capability and power of girls in bringing around change. If you look nationally or even internationally, we have adolescent girls who are doing incredible work on the global front and on the National Front, whether it's about the climate, whether it's about indigenous rights, whether it's about issues around inclusion and diversity, that there are girls who are raising their voices about these issues, and their level of commitment and the inspiration that they give on these issues. It just it makes me feel as if I need to just start over again because I feel as if I haven't done much when I look at what they're doing and how fearless they are in the face of immense power and opposition. Yes, immense power in opposition that actually aims to put them down. Yes, standing up, you know, and, and so I admire that and then what that's doing in terms of those girls, it's that empowering other girls, other boys, other young people to actually stand up as well. And so that's why I think that it's, it is the future for them is boundless. It's barrier, Alaska. It's huge. And, you know, I've been in this work for a very long time, have been an advocate for decades on these issues. And it's easy to lose hope at particular points in time, very easy to lose hope. But advocates are the most hopeful people in the world. Despite what may seem as not enough change in periods of time, we are the most hopeful people in the world because when we see examples of young people standing up in the face of strong opposition, we know that it's not going to be this way forever. And if you look back in history, you know, we know that we weren't always here at one point women 100 years ago, the women didn't have the right to vote. You know, and not all women had the right to vote when some woman did. And so there's been changes over the decades in terms of that. And those were once a young women too, you know, who stood up in the face of immense opposition. So, you know, if we take examples from that, if we take examples from history, but also today, we'll see that, that the future can be bright. And I say can be and why I say that is because it takes lots of work to convince many people about the direction that we should be going in society. So whether it's about climate justice, whether it's about gender equality, whether it's about diversity and inclusion, whether it's about indigenous rights. It takes a lot of work over a period of time to get folks to actually make the right choices in terms of government. Make the make the right choices in terms of how we utilize and care for the environment. Men make the right choices in terms of making sure that we do right by indigenous people, and recognizing what our role is in terms of reconciliation. So there is lots of opportunities for young people to engage the young women to stand up. And I believe that, you know, the current government has set the tone, at least at the cabinet level, in terms of 50%. What we need to have that in terms of elected officials, we need to have that in terms of leadership of corporations and different businesses in this country. We need to have that in terms of leadership and organizations even in a not for profit sector. So all of these things need to be happening and I am confident that it will.
Katharine Cornfield30:50
I love your optimism about it. Well, I really
Paulette Senior30:52
like to see that in my in my lifetime, quite frankly. I have to be optimistic girls, what's the point of the Every day, right?
Katharine Cornfield31:01
No. And I think that the way that you sort of describe the journey of an advocate, it's refreshing impact and change is a very long game. And you're right, it takes. It takes a whole bunch of people and a whole bunch of work to bring societal and cultural change. So I love that optimism I have it too. I think the future is bright in my own experience, which is front line still a lot of the time with young women I am astounded at their passion at their capability, at their desire to have an impact. And, I share that optimism innocence, I have no doubt that they will. And so that's actually a perfect place to sort of almost come to my last question. I am intensely curious about that path from adolescent learner to leader is the is the way I describe it from adolescence. You know from adolescent to young adult and then ultimately to leader and by leader I’m going to sort of narrow that scope a little bit and get your opinion.
Katharine Cornfield32:12
What will it take to move more women into high impact decision making roles across every domain? What this specifically talked about cabinet, you talked about the number of women in the House of Commons. We can talk about board representation, we can talk about business ownership, we can talk about corporate Canada, we can talk about just about any domain and there's not yet enough women and high impact decision making roles. So how is it that we collectively as organizations, as governments, as individual parents, and educators and mentors, how is it that what specifically what are the ingredients that go into helping that young women along the path, and, you know, to what extent I know that there's a sort of an ongoing dialogue, in the women's movement around whether or not you need to focus on the systemic issues and leave young women alone, or whether there are things that girls and young women need to know and understand, and I tend to think of ambiSHEous, we kind of work around both. But what about you? And what about the Canadian Women's Foundation? What do you think are the secret ingredients to getting more women into those high impact decision making roles?
Paulette Senior33:22
Hmm.
Well, I think it's a great question and I'm going to answer it from a couple of angles if that's okay, absolutely. So, so, like you I, you know, we have to work at the individual level, we have to work at a community level and we also must work at the system change level. So that's really important. That's the work we do in terms of advocacy and public policy work. We have the advantageous position of being able to have really solid released concepts with great corporations who see the value of our work with incredible individuals who choose us as a charity of choice who also believe in what we're talking about today, and happen to have the means to be able to support that work. So we're very grateful for that and invite others to join us in that journey and that commitment. But we also I think, have to, through research and through engagement have to be able to identify what is it that we specifically need to be working on in order to either get rid of or reduce the barriers to allow girls and young women to be able to express themselves freely to be who they are, and to pursue with passion, unbridled passion, what it is they want. To the windlass world right now, whether that is leading in their personal life or whether that is leading at the community or a higher level, so they have to have the freedom to choose what it is that they want to do. So I think that that's an important piece. I think what's also important is that they can be able to look up and look forward and see for themselves others who are leading in those areas that they want to lead in because sometimes, not all the times, but sometimes when you can't see it, you don't think you can be it. Right. And you know, as a black woman who is running a National Women's organization that is highly favored. I take that very seriously. And so for me, one of the things that we all need to do you meet others is, is actually reach back. We're back whether it's to folks in our immediate Circle but also going outside of our immediate circle, I see that I have a responsibility to be able to either mentor or be mentored or both. But to have that connectedness with young women and girls, so that they don't see that where I am, is unreachable and that I am unique and special. And I'm not I don't think I'm unique and special. I kind of think pretty highly of myself, but that's irrelevant. I know for me, it's about knowing that this path is also for them if that's what they want to do. Yes, you know, and to not hold this position of if I'm so special, and no one else can do it. That is ridiculous. And so no matter where we are in our journey and leadership and the positions that we hold, we need to keep that door open for others to walk in, and to also be able to come forward and be their own self expressed self. That is really important for me and I see it as a critical ingredient. Because I think part of the problem that we have in Canada is that we don't do that enough. Because we had to fight so damn hard to get to where we are interesting. Well, we do our best to, to just sustain and maintain ourselves because it was so hard to get to. And that is true. But until we actually realize that the more of us the better, then we're going to have to keep fighting hard to stay where we are. Right. So that's one thing. The other thing I want to say, you know, one of our founders, the late great, honorable Rosemary Brown, an immigrant woman who came from Jamaica, and who was the first black woman to actually not only be in government in DC at the provincial level, as an MP or MLA is what they called it then, but also Run for the leadership of a national political party in Canada. And I'm not shy to say she was Jamaican as well. What she said in terms of her vision for the Canadian Women's Foundation and the other founders of the foundation. What she said was, until all of us have made it, none of us have made it.
And I surmise what she meant by that is what we now call in beautiful words, diversity inclusion, but it's really about us being able to open the door and not just the people who look like us, but for people who look different from us. So until all of us, none of us, I think that's a statement about diversity and inclusion. I sense a statement about making sure that we're not just about us, but we're about everybody. We're about all women and girls being able to flourish and thrive and function in a healthy way in society.
Katharine Cornfield38:59
I Completely, I'm inspired by that. And by the idea of like you said, and I guess that we attribute to Rosemary Brown, the late great Rosemary Brown. That until everyone makes it No one makes it I the whole concept of diversity inclusion intersectionality around this work is absolutely critical. And the role of role models like yourself, I think absolutely cannot be understated in terms of its importance for young girls and women and looking forward. I also think, however, that the people who are closest so the audience and the listeners of this podcast should not underestimate their own influence. The real life everyday role models that are the parents and the teachers and the mentors in the community based programs, or the coaches or whoever are circling around those people, men and women, everyone around young girls have tremendous influence. On their future and on their pathway and on their ability to thrive, as you say, and reach their full potential. So it does fall to those who are in those high role or high impact roles to reach back, as you say, but I also think it's incumbent on everyone to start to be a little bit more conscious of their unconscious bias, to think about the ways that they interact in their own home and in the classroom, and in the schools, and to really be thoughtful about how they're including young women at every intersection.
Paulette Senior40:37
Mm hmm. And I would add, be thoughtful and deliberate.
Katharine Cornfield40:41
Yes. Right.
Paulette Senior 40:44
Yeah, that's right. So, make it make it something that you see that is necessary to do, you know, so whether it's promoting intergenerational leadership because sometimes, we're leaving young women outside of these critical conversations and they see the world very differently. And they're the ones who are most at risk, as you said at the beginning of our conversation around issues of harassment and sexual assault. Right. So they need to be brought into the conversation, because sometimes our conversations are exclusive as opposed to inclusive. It also that's really important, and I love what you're saying in terms of, we all have roles to play, and how can we actually utilize the roles that we're operating in, to actually bring about the change that we seek?
Katharine Cornfield41:32
Yes, well, with that, because I can tell we have a lot in common in terms of our shared interests and beliefs. So we could quite conceivably go on at length, but I am conscious of the time. So I'm wondering if there's sort of any one last thought that you would like to leave our audience with maybe a bit of advice or some insight and also, if you wouldn't mind sharing the details of the Canadian Women's Foundation should they want to find out about your programming and find out how to get involved.
Paulette Senior42:08
Sure. Okay, so, so what I'll say one last advice. I usually normally handled Rosemary’s advice or quote, but since I've used already I'm going to find a different one that I also like, which I think is about an aspect of leadership that's important and, I talked about it which is about mentoring or whatever you call it supporting, but I call it be a mentor, support a mentor, who I am and you know, there are several young women that I have, you know, lots of opportunity to meet and talk with and engage with, and they may see me as a mentor and I see them as my mentor because you know, I'm kind of up there and in age and so many things that I don't know that they share with me. So I, I deliberately make sure that I always in conversation with several young, diverse young woman who may seek me out and I tend to say yes. Right, I tend to say yes to those opportunities and I see it as a critical part of my work. So I guess the advice that I would say is, take the opportunity to bring a young woman along with you. To not just see her as someone who needs your help because it's not a pop down situation. It really is creating a relationship with someone to support them on their journey, that they can learn from your own experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly, but that you also are open to learning from them in terms of the world that we're actually living in today that we don't know much about, as well, so that's, I think that's the advice I would end with. And in terms of connecting with the Canadian Women’s Foundation, I would recommend that you go to our website, canadianwomen.org. To learn more about the work we do, we also have an extraordinary, extraordinary new campaign video that we released last fall that I would encourage you to see, it's called tireless so you can go to join the tireless.ca to see that video, and that video actually captured beautifully the vision that we have for gender equality in Canada.
Katharine Cornfield44:39
Fantastic. Thank you so much. I love that. That sort of parting advice for folks is to continue having conversations with young women and bring them along. That's a perfect place to leave it. And thank you so much for sharing and directing folks towards the work that you do at the foundation. It has been an absolute pleasure talking to you. I really, really appreciate the time that you've taken today, and I hope that we can continue this conversation into the future. And I really thank you again for coming.
Paulette Senior45:08
Thank you. Thank you for having me. And thank you also for the conversation. It's been wonderful, I look forward to other opportunities that we will have.
Katharine Cornfield45:22
Thank you to our listeners for joining us on Beginner Women, a show where we throw out our adult agendas to shape a new future for girls. Check out our show notes for the resources we talked about in today's episode, and for the actionable insights you can use to nurture and empower the girls you know, if you like what you hear on our show, write us a review on Apple podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe wherever you find your favorite shows. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn at ambiSHEous. That's a MB ISHEO us
Transcribed by https://otter.ai