September 17 to 23, 2023, was Gender Equality Week in Canada. The week is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to addressing the culture of exclusion that prevents women and gender diverse folks from fully participating in the engineering profession. We take this opportunity to consider the actions that we can all undertake to bring greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to our schools, workplaces, and the engineering profession overall.
In May, Engineers Canada hosted its annual 30 by 30 Conference, a collective impact initiative which brings together people who are actively working to address gender equity in the engineering profession. The three virtual conference sessions featured topics and discussions that are crucial to achieving gender equality—and equity—in engineering. As we marked Gender Equality Week last week, Engineers Canada shared the recordings of these sessions, which give viewers important information and tools that they can enact in their workplaces:
Seeking out equity, diversity, and inclusion expertise
As we work to achieve greater equality—and equity—in the engineering profession, we need the guidance of practitioners who can help us undo the wrongs of the past and pave the way for a more equitable future. The 30 by 30 Conference virtual sessions kicked off with a session about Seeking out Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Expertise. Our panel—Nicole MacDonald, Jocelyn Peltier-Huntley, and Yasemin Tanaçan-Blacklock—shared why EDI expertise is required to support culture change in the engineering profession, what to look for in hiring an EDI consultant, what consultants wish their clients knew, and how to build meaningful relationships with service providers.
Anti-violence in the workplace
Gender-based violence is all too common in workplaces and schools, directly challenging the physical and psychological safety required to make an inclusive and equitable space. During this virtual session with an introduction by Jeanette Southwood, Kim Bouffard and Paulette Senior discussed workplace violence prevention: how to go beyond the legal framework to be an anti-violence and anti-harassment workplace. Topics included myths around gender-based violence, what individuals can do to shift the culture of a workplace away from shame and silence, and resources that survivors can use to navigate often-inadequate systems.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion guidelines
Guidelines can be an important tool for enacting gender equality and sharing principles and practices. As we marked Gender Equality Week, this virtual session from our 30 by 30 Conference in May features a relevant topic: EDI guidelines. Our panellists—Marcie Cochrane, Camille Hernández-Ramdwar, and Eileen Sowunmi—discussed the urgency and importance of centering lived experience when creating guidelines, for EDI practice, and the realities of “one-size-fits-all" EDI initiatives.
As we reflect on the responsibility we all have in bringing greater gender equality—and equity—to our engineering schools, workplaces, and the profession overall, engineers, engineering employers, and EDI champions are invited to join us for the next 30 by 30 Conference on May 22, 2024 in Winnipeg, MB. To get conference updates, and other equity, diversity, and inclusion news from around the engineering profession, sign up for our 30 by 30 Newsletter here.
