Status of Women committee  If I could, 50% of the women in Women Unlimited self-identify as diverse. That speaks to the fact that 75% of our staff self-identify as diverse, and that we reach out deliberately—through our own diversity plan—to recruit women from indigenous communities, African Nova Scotian w

Status of Women committee  —right, you're not welcome. “Under-represented” means we need more of you, so one thing that I've learned along this journey is that “under-represented” is where we are.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. Sure.

Status of Women committee  Thank you for your question. I believe deeply, I really do, that we need diversity targets. I really do. The success we've seen over the years with projects in these fields, where women are so significantly under-represented.... If targets and diversity plans are not put in plac

Status of Women committee  You know, I think it speaks to the fact that there are so few organizations across this country that are focused on women in trades. When I say we work with women for 10 years along that journey, it takes 10 years along that journey to really be successful in these fields. When

Status of Women committee  Absolutely, yes. Retention is a critical issue for women in these fields. If they do have to leave the workplace for a period of time, they are at a significant disadvantage for their economic equality and prosperity.

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. I'm not an expert on child care, but having spent 30 years working with women who live in poverty or on lower incomes in Nova Scotia, I can say that it is the great divide. Women who are lone parents or primary caregivers are challenged hugely by child care. Being so

Status of Women committee  Yes.

Status of Women committee  There are 650 women who've already been there. They see their sisters. They see women in their communities who are in these fields and who love their jobs. That critical mass makes a difference. We recruit very much through an outreach program within communities across Nova Scoti

Status of Women committee  There has been some improvement but little by percentage. We're still at about 5%. It's been the same for 20 or 30 years. Certainly there are more women working in the trades and technology fields at this stage, but they're still at about 5%, which is why we need a really concert

Status of Women committee  Women Unlimited started 10 years ago, so we've been in operation for a decade now. We had a very successful program right across the province at four community colleges. The 650 women who had participated over that time participated in those programs. To your point about the pe

Status of Women committee  I have a report here that we just published of stories of a number of women in our program. Many of them will say they weren't encouraged at a young age to consider the careers, the trades, or technologies. We don't work specifically within the school system, but the women we wor

Status of Women committee  I think there is so much that can be done. I really do. We're at 5% and that hasn't changed in 20 years. Truly, both in small and medium-sized businesses as well as in large initiatives, the workplace culture is the issue and recruitment and hiring is the issue. Women are so in

Status of Women committee  Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee, for this opportunity. The Women Unlimited Association is a not-for-profit organization in Nova Scotia that supports diverse women to build careers in the trades and technology fields. Cited as a best practice in Canada, we wor