As we near March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day, and from February 28 to March 11 (and beyond!) Invest Ottawa hosts the 4th annual International Women’s Week: IWW 2022.
Throughout IWW 2022, Invest Ottawa is partnering with amazing people and organizations to create impactful events for our business community. We address critical opportunities and challenges facing women leaders —from the ‘F’ words of entrepreneurship and opportunities in angel investing to women breaking barriers in smart mobility, cybersecurity and main street business. Together, we can expedite change and move the dial to build a collaborative and inclusive community of women leaders from all walks of life to achieve a significant impact on our economy and society.
The month of March is filled with jam-packed days of events with a dozen opportunities to choose from by our strong local and regional collaborators! From story-telling talks to keynote presentations and wow-worthy workshops, IWW 2022 has something for everyone. Catch a sneak peek of what’s in store at IWW 2022.⬇️
Be sure to check out our complete calendar of IWW events if you’re looking for the actionable insight that you can put to work to empower yourself and women from all walks of life. You’ll find inspiration and many gems of wisdom across industries spanning tech, entrepreneurship, academia, research, media, investment, and beyond! There is something for everyone.
We’ve highlighted 13 International Women’s Week events happening this month that you should know about:
1. Women Angel Investor Breakfast
Date: March 1
Time: 8:00 am – 10:30 am EST
Organizer: Invest Ottawa and Capital Angel Network
Cost: Free
Only 2.3% of investments went to companies led by a woman-identifying founder in 2020. Get equipped and inspired with actionable insight to help move the dial to get more women on the other side of the table making investment decisions. This session explores the opportunity, benefits and impact of angel investing.
2. Women Leading Globally in Cyber
Date: March 2
Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST
Organizer: Invest Ottawa and Fortinet
Cost: Free
The world requires 3.5 million professionals. Today, women make up just 20% of the global cybersecurity workforce. There is a growing labour shortage and gender and diversity gap in this critical field. Join Invest Ottawa, Fortinet and the following cybersecurity changemakers to drive discussion on what it takes for women to break barriers in this billion-dollar market and workforce.
3. Breakthrough Breakfast 2022
Date: March 3
Time: 9:00 am -10:00 am EST
Organizer: Carleton University
Cost: Free
Join Carleton University to learn about the innovative work of graduate-level women researchers from Carleton University’s Faculty of Engineering and Design, followed by a moderated discussion on Women in STEM with our presenters and host, led by the Faculty’s Associate Dean (Research).
Don’t miss this great opportunity to celebrate trailblazing women PhD researchers with an inside look at some of the amazing tech advances taking shape at Carleton – paired with meaningful conversation on Women in STEM from the undergraduate, graduate and faculty perspective – all in honour of International Women’s Day and International Women’s Week in Ottawa!
4. StrikeUP 2022 Conference for Women Entrepreneurs
Date: March 3
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm EST
Organizer: Northumberland CFDC, The Scotiabank Women Initiative® and Export Development Canada
Cost: Free
StrikeUP Canada is Canada’s flagship digital conference convening women entrepreneurs and the women entrepreneurship ecosystem, with a united vision of equity and inclusive economic growth through entrepreneurship.
Founded by Northumberland CFDC and presented in partnership with The Scotiabank Women Initiative ® and Export Development Canada, StrikeUP 2022 reflects the diversity and ambition of Canada’s women entrepreneurs as an accessible, free and world-class program focused on growth, funding, digital adoption and global opportunities.
5. Fearless Women
Date: March 7
Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm EST
Organizer: United Way East Ontario
Cost: Free
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate women and girls who inspire the change we want to see in our communities. Anyone—regardless of age, stage, or status—can make a difference in the world or someone’s life. There is power in women sharing their experiences with others. It allows us to connect, relate, reflect, and recognize their stories.
Join Women United for a virtual discussion about resiliency, leadership, and mentorship. Together, explore the power of finding your voice and sharing your story. Fearless Women brings to the stage Keynote Speaker Janice McDonald, author of Fearless: Girls with Dreams, Women with Vision and creator of the Fearless Women Podcast.
6. Inclusive Leadership Session Hosted by Canadian Women in Ocean Industries Leadership (CWOIL)
Date: March 8
Time: 1:30 pm NST
Organizer: Canadian Women in Ocean Industries Leadership (CWOIL)
Cost: Free
Research has shown us that to engage diverse talent, build inclusive leaders, and foster an innovative, courageous, and equitable culture, we must start at the top.
Leadership is about influencing others through personal attributes and behaviours. As a leader, you are responsible for generating trust, building authentic relationships, and effective teams. It is vital that you lead by example and inspire excellence in others. Inclusive leaders understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in engaging their workforce and in creating safe, respectful work environment.
WRDC’s Inclusive Leadership workshop is for leaders of people and will provide an overview on equity, diversity and inclusion; the qualities, traits and aims of an inclusive leader; the five models and business case for inclusive leadership and the importance of understanding unconscious bias in engaging and leading diverse teams.
7. Elevate International Women’s Day: A New Era
Date: March 8
Time: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm EST
Organizer: Elevate International
Cost: Free
As we emerge from the COVID era, a new era is emerging. It is one where we will build back better. In the midst of adversity, there is great opportunity. How do we build a better world that will strengthen our leadership pipeline for generations to come? Come together with Elevate International for this free full-day ‘hybrid’ event hosted in collaboration with Invest Ottawa and many collaborators.
Join us to: explore the significant impact of COVID-19 on women’s leadership in the workplace, business and philanthropy; facilitate open, authentic dialogue about collective action and solutions, including how to foster a more inclusive and equitable culture and advance a more diverse and competitive workforce, and; discuss strategies and actions that will elevate and advance women leaders from every walk of life in all sectors.
8. The WIT Network International Women’s Day 2022 Conference
Date: March 8
Time: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm EST
Organizer: The WIT Network
Cost: Free
The WIT Network is ready to host all of our members and guests for another inspiring, empowering and informative event on March 8, 2022. This is a great opportunity to connect with hundreds of other women (and men) as we focus on the theme of #BreakTheBias from the IWD organization.
9. Bay Ward International Women’s Day Event
Date: March 8
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm EST
Organizer: Bay Ward, City of Ottawa
Cost: Free
On March 8, 2022, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, Councillor Kavanagh will again host a virtual meeting with an emcee and four special panellists. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can break the bias in our communities. We can break the bias in our workplaces. We can break the bias in our schools, colleges and universities.
Together, we can all break the bias – on International Women’s Day (IWD) and beyond.
10. Breaking the Bias in IP: Reflections From Women in Leadership
Date: March 9
Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm EST
Organizer: ChIPs Eastern Canada Chapter
Cost: Free
In celebration of International Women’s Day, the up-and-coming ChIPs Eastern Canada Chapter will bring together a diverse panel of women leaders in IP from in-house and private practice to share their insights, perspectives and stories from their own career journey. Our purpose for the panel is to offer guidance and inspiration for women at all levels to “Break the Bias” in IP.
11. Better Together
Date: March 10
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm EST
Organizer: Invest Ottawa and Thusha Agampodi
Cost: Free
Is there a place for me to advance women’s inclusion in the workplace? This question can spark a flurry of considerations, thoughts, and ideas on where to begin. You might wonder, “What is the best role I can play? Should I attend the gender inclusion event at my workplace or step back and leave space for the women in my organization to gather?” The answers require thoughtfulness, tact and deeper understanding.
Evidence shows that when allies—especially men—are deliberately engaged in gender inclusion programs, 96% of organizations see progress, compared to only 30% of organizations where allies are not engaged. Join us for authentic and frank discussions on how allyship is key to moving the dial for inclusivity in the workplace. Together as a community, we can build a network of supportive and strategic allies to achieve gender equity.
12. Shifting Mindset: From Survive to Thrive
Date: March 11
Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am EST
Organizer: SunHub Inc.
Cost: Free
Join SunHub Inc. for a conversation on how we can take conscious, coherent, and collective action to tackle climate and social crises! Numerous movements have been initiated in the world for climate and social actions. But the efforts are scattered; some are even, unintentionally, competing and going to opposite extremes. Collectively, which direction should we take?
Learn how we can work together to tackle climate change and social crises—starting by shifting our mindset from survive to thrive.
13.Lightbulb Moments: Women in STEM Conquering Personal & Systemic Biases
Date: March 11
Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm EST
Organizer: Jasmine Shaw
Cost: Free
The challenges that women in STEM face are well known: From the gender pay gap to imposter syndrome to the motherhood penalty, both systemic and personal biases impact their ability to thrive.
This event sheds light on the most common biases experienced by women in STEM industries and transforms them into a unique learning opportunity. You’ll hear from 8 leaders who have both experienced and held biases, the steps they took to overcome them, and key takeaways for the audience so that they too can #BreakTheBias.
Make the most of IWW 2022 by checking our complete March calendar of IWW 2022 events.
Catch all the actionable insight and inspiration of International Women’s Week! We are excited to come together with collaborators from our region, across Canada and around the world for this empowering month. Dozens of partners are joining us to promote women in leadership, host and contribute to events, and engage participants from Canada’s Capital and anywhere on planet earth.