Gender Equality Speakers | $3 billion for Girls & Women at the G7

The 2018 G7 summit made history with nearly $3 billion (USD) pledged towards the education of women & girls around the world. Four of our most requested gender equality speakers played a big role in making this happen: Farrah Khan, Michael Kaufman, and Roberta Jamieson were all part of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. Their leading voices recommended concrete actions for the G7 to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment across all areas of the G7’s work. Speaker Farah Mohamed was the voice representing the Malala Foundation, one of the 30 non-governmental organizations who formed a coalition to advance this G7 cause. We are proud of the work these speakers have – and continue – to do to advance gender equality. We’re honoured to help bring their powerful ideas & messages to audiences around the world.

What do education, gender equality and women’s empowerment have to do with your community or organization?

Everything. In the words of the Prime Minister of Canada:

When women & girls have equal chances to learn and succeed, they help build economies that work for everyone – this morning in Charlevoix, the #G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council shared its recommendations on how we can #MakeGenderInequalityHistory around the world. pic.twitter.com/zy27kOaZ32

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 9, 2018

How do these speakers demonstrate the value in gender equality and women’s empowerment within their presentations?

Farah Mohamed | CEO of the Malala Fund, Founder & Advisor to G(irls)20

As a representative for Malala Yousafzai and the Malala Fund, Farah directly addressed the G7 leaders. Her message appealed not to their sense of social justice but to a simple fact: an investment in the education of girls increases economic growth. Farah knows how to take on challenging current issues and provide an action plan to move forward – focusing on business results supporting a better world. Read her full remarks to G7 leaders here.

Gender Equality Presentation:

Diversity and Opportunity
Farah proves that in an increasingly interconnected world, it’s a competitive edge for any organization to have a variety of opinions around the table. Taking the conversation beyond the celebration of diversity, she makes the business case for leveraging it. Farah explores strategies for how to better engage women in the workforce. She uses hard numbers to drive home her message: your percentage, your growth, your profit margin will go up if a woman is sitting at a table making a decision. Her presentations encourage the cultivation of a new generation of leaders through education, entrepreneurship and global experiences. 

Michael Kaufman | Cofounder of White Ribbon Campaign

As the co-founder of the White Ribbon Campaign and a Senior Fellow at the Promundo Institute, Michael has been engaging men and boys in promoting gender equality and ending violence against women for decades. As a member of Justin Trudeau’s Gender Equality Advisory Council, he shares a deep understanding of gender, violence prevention and social justice issues with the goal of healthy relationships and a new vision of masculinity. As a speaker, Michael is known for his powerful and entertaining talks. Using both narrative and research, Michael weaves together humour, anecdotes, and clear analysis – creating events that are educational, positive and inspiring.

Gender Equality Presentation:

Men, Business & the Gender Equality Advantage
Michael is tired of hearing it’s a battle of the sexes. He explains that it’s time to let go of the idea that equality in the workplace, home and community would be women winning and men losing. Michael Kaufman’s work with corporations, governments, the UN, and NGOs over the past thirty-five years has shown this just isn’t true. This talk, full of Michael’s celebrated storytelling and humour, shows what men will gain by supporting equality. It shows the advantages that come to businesses and public institutions that embrace gender equality. It looks at the importance of corporate responsibility and leadership on issues ranging from ending violence against women to supporting the social and workplace changes that allow women and men to find work-life balance and to support the new parenting roles that men are playing. It’s a fun and positive look of our own ideals of manhood that will give leaders practical tools to bring into their own corporations…and lives.

Farrah Khan | Consent Culture Educator and Activist

As co-chair of the Gender-Equity Committee Farrah Khan was called to speak on behalf of the council, in the room with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, President Donald Trump, German chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders and council representatives.  She shares that you cannot talk about the economy and a thriving, sustainable, peaceful and healthy world without talking about gender equality. Farrah is nationally recognized as a counsellor, educator, and policy advisor. Armed with passion and compassion, she helps organizations recognize and address harassment, gender-based violence, consent, bystander intervention, trauma and disclosures. Her presentations and initiatives use art to explore themes of inclusion, healing and justice.

Read about her G7 experience here in Chatelaine.

Gender Equality Presentation:

Cultivating Consent Culture in the Workplace
From movie sets to bars to the boardroom, the important conversation about sexual harassment in the workplace is happening right now across North America and around the world. Farrah’s interactive keynote discusses sexual harassment and how recent policy changes impact employees. Drawing from her two decades of experience as an educator, counsellor and policy advisor, Farrah equips organizations with meaningful skills to recognize the signs of workplace violence and harassment. She provides a framework to develop an effective response to disclosure and how to connect those in need to appropriate resources. Audiences will gain some tangible tools to prevent and address harm.

Roberta Jamieson | Lawyer & Indigenous Advocate

As a recent recipient of the Indigenous Women in Leadership Award & the President/CEO of Indspire, Roberta brought her signature consultation style to the Gender Equality Advisory Council. Her notable career as an advisor, leader, advocate, and consensus-builder inform her presentations focusing on social justice, problem-solving, and the rights and interests of First Nations people. Roberta’s unique presentation style is both powerful and reflective. Organizations will benefit from her insights as the CEO a highly successful indigenous-led charity – having disbursed over $12.2 million dollars to indigenous students in bursaries and scholarships.

Gender Equality Presentation:

Education
Roberta believes Education is the key to transformation. She calls on us to make constructive changes in order to better our economic circumstances. Roberta outlines how educating women & indigenous youth can address the worlds growing shortage of skilled labour. She makes the case that Education is a sustainable investment which exponentially increases benefits over future generations and in a short time pays for itself.

#MakeGenderInequalityHistory #G72018