Thank you very much, Bernadette, and welcome. You were a force as the chair of the Atlantic caucus. You were able to move many mountains and you continue to do so. We are very fortunate that we now have you as an advocate around this table.
We are committed to increasing the participation of women, and from diverse backgrounds, in all areas of public life but also within the private sector. Your question was how we can do this beyond legislation. I will highlight Bill C-25, which is at the Senate right now. The focus of it is diversity around corporate boards. That's important because often it is boards that hire executives, CEOs, for example. That cultural change and that diversity of perspectives at the top is going to lead to different perspectives and perhaps practices that end up being applied.
In terms of what we're doing as a federal government, for example, the President of the Treasury Board introduced the name-blind recruitment process. That takes some of the unconscious biases that can sometimes prevent perfectly qualified people from having their resumés and applications moved to the top.
We are investing in ensuring that we do a few things. One of the critical pieces which came up at the G7 ministerial meeting in Italy a few weeks ago is that for our daughters to seek positions of power and influence, one of the most critical factors and often a systemic barrier is lack of role models. If she sees someone who looks like her, who talks like her, who's had experiences and a similar background as she has, doing something such as leading in the House of Commons, leading in a company, leading as a woman in media or other unrepresented fields, she's more likely to dream it and believe it's possible for her. That's a really important piece.
That data showed that women don't negotiate, for example, for higher salaries. We don't always believe we can reach that next promotion. Part of that work is internal, in mentorship and coaching. Championing is important. This is work that individuals can be part of, but also that the government can do through highlighting great women.
