From left to right, Norma Dubé, member of the Women in Leadership Advisory Committee; Josée Rioux-Walker, Project Coordinator with Women in Business NB; the Honorable Brenda L. Murphy, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick; and Rebecca Preston, Director of Women in Business N.B. (photo courtesy)
February 12, 2024 (Bathurst, N.B.) – The organizers of the Women’s Leadership Provincial Gathering – From Talk to Action, recently held in Fredericton, have chosen to commemorate the event with a graphic report that will now be displayed in the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick.
"An event of such significance deserved to be immortalized, which is why we digitized the work of artist Shawn Dalton, created throughout the gathering, and presented it in a frame," explains Josée Rioux-Walker, Coordinator of the Women's Leadership Project - From Talk to Action with Women in Business New Brunswick (WBNB). She adds, "It was equally important for us that the artwork be displayed in a public and meaningful place. An ally to the cause, the Lieutenant Governor readily agreed to receive it in her residence."
The Lieutenant Governor, the Honorable Brenda L. Murphy, participated in the event held on November 3 and 4, 2023, alongside over 145 delegates from all over New Brunswick, including the keynote speaker and Regional Chief of New Brunswick for the Assembly of First Nations, Joanna Bernard, as well as the Minister of Women's Equality for N.B., the Honorable Sherry Wilson.
Under the theme "Inform, Inspire, Support, Motivate, and Engage," the goal was to amplify the voices of women and non-binary individuals in leadership positions in the democratic, civic, public, and private sectors of N.B. A noteworthy aspect of the event is that 60% of registered delegates identified themselves as belonging to an underrepresented group.
Engagement
Women continue to persevere in overcoming the main systemic obstacles hindering their progress into leadership roles. "The Gathering was intended to be the highlight of our project. We met over 200 remarkable individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences over the past two years of our project. Their stories resonated deeply. We wanted to take a moment during this gathering to listen, learn, and collectively triumph over systemic biases," adds Mrs Rioux-Walker. "Participants left the event engaged to promoting women's equality in decision-making positions."
The WBNB Women in Leadership Project - From Talk to Action, funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada's Women's Program, concludes on March 31, 2024. For more information about the project, please visit the website at www.fanbleadership.ca.
