Hi, my name is Janelle Hinds, and I'm the delegate representing Mississauga Centre. I'm honoured to have this opportunity to speak to the committee.
I feel I'm well positioned to talk about women in non-traditional fields, as I'm an engineer and entrepreneur. I did my degree in biomedical and electrical engineering at McMaster University and I'm also the founder of Helping Hands, which was a social enterprise to help youth at the high school level get engaged civically.
As an engineer, I wear my ring proudly, but I wear it because I have to. When I go to conferences and networking events that are geared toward technology or entrepreneurs, I am always assumed to be the administrative assistant, never the founder. I have been told countless times that I don't look like an engineer. Every time people say that, as a female and a person of colour, I feel I do not fit their stereotype of what an engineer is.
I have also worked at jobs where less technically qualified males were hired for positions and given a higher salary than mine.
Perceptions matter. I spend a lot of time reaching out to younger women to get them interested in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A lot of them just basically tell me they are not interested because they do not see role models and other people who look like them. These perceptions need to change. That's why I think initiatives like Minister Kirsty Duncan's choose science initiative should be expanded and developed further.
Women choose apprenticeships in fields like welding at a staggeringly low rate, but I believe these campaigns that show women the benefits of pursuing STEM by showcasing the impact they can make, while experiencing the economic security that these jobs provide, will help close the gender gap.
Barriers that women like me face in STEM are not limited to perception. For example, as a female and an entrepreneur, I face sexual harassment. I've had potential investors in my business make sexual overtures to me and drop all communication or harass me as soon as I resist, and this actually happened to me just last night.
At my alma mater I support women, many of whom have disclosed stories of sexual harassment and discrimination. It's hard for me to tell these women what course of action they should take. This is why one recommendation I have is that we start an initiative to show women, youth, and minorities what their rights are as workers.
I think the government should support more grassroots groups that support women in STEM and entrepreneurs, as well as encouraging businesses to get more involved with these organizations, because this will help create the trained, skilled workers whom companies will need to hire in the future, as well as closing the gender gap and helping women be self-sustainable and even thrive.
I call on the government to directly fund women through grants to start their businesses, with ongoing educational support. Women bring a different perspective into this field, and if Canada wants to have a strong economic future, women need to be involved more.
Thank you.