03/2023
Published on The Caribbean Camera
Despite often being recognized as one of the most diverse nations in the world, with one in four people identifying as a member of a racialized group, Canada’s leadership tables continue to have a diversity deficit.
Racialized individuals represent 28.4 per cent of the population in major Canadian cities but only hold 10.4 per cent of board positions, according to the Diversity Institute’s 2020 Diversity Leads report.
CivicAction, a nonprofit that tackles GTHA urban challenges through civic engagement, is addressing this diversity deficit with a new program — BoardShift — that prepares and matches racialized talent with nonprofit, charitable, and public board opportunities.
“There is nothing more important to the future of our cities than those who will lead them. However, not all leadership journeys look the same — especially for those who belong to equity-deserving communities,” said Leslie Woo, CEO, CivicAction. “The data tells us that our leadership tables exclude racialized voices and their much-needed perspectives and lived experiences. We’re addressing this issue and expanding and investing in our country’s leadership pipelines with the introduction of BoardShift.”