Canadian HR Reporter Weekly

3 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2018 March 14, 2018 one another, men and minorities also need to remain on the radar. "Empowering women includes empowering men — particularly fathers and young fathers," she said, citing flex hours or remote work to accommodate various needs. "We need to advocate for equality, regardless of the situation," said Martin. "It's not just about gender diversity, it's about all levels of diversity — that neutralizes the conversation." Pushing boundaries Twenty years ago, harassment was still a common experi- ence for women, according to the panel. Leland recounted an experience where a colleague exposed himself while she was employed as a bartender, while Legare recalled making sales calls to store managers who had nude posters fixed to the walls of their offices. One even requested she sit on his lap prior to him signing off on a sale — an inappropriate request she ultimately denied. While society has been slowly evolving towards gender equality, #MeToo has sped up the pace of change, said Marcy Graham, vice-president of sales at Mondelez, a multinational snack company. e result has been a liberation of sorts for working women, she said. "Step up and ask for what you want… It's your time now. Take it and enjoy it." "We continue to progress, and we've got to figure out how we can progress faster," said Graham. "at's the challenge that we've got to address as a collective." While companies work towards implementing proactive policy and zero-tolerance culture, gender issues remain in harder-to-see areas such as corporate activities on the golf course — a sport still dominated by men, said Martin. "at's still part of an expected social and networking thing in the industry," she said. Ontario legislation aimed at pay transparency adds another wrinkle to the gender equity conversation, said panel moderator Lori McIntosh, founder and CEO of consultancy company Vim and Vixin. "is is something that we need to pay enormous attention to," she said. "You really need to understand how to handle and have these conversations and, most importantly, advocate for yourself." Navigating mentorships One unfortunate result of the movement could be the increased reluctance of men to mentor the careers of younger women, said Legare. "I hope that in a male-dominated industry, males don't hesitate to mentor middle-level managers, female managers, because of the #MeToo movement — because it's important," she said. "Everyone needs to take part in it. We all need to mentor young males and females, because we need diversity." Choosing the right mentor helps, said Legare. "It's important to find someone who's like-minded and shares the same values as you have, and the same goals for yourself." While formal mentorship programs continue to provide opportunity for scheduled events, such as discussion over coffee, informal mentorships built organically with trusted colleagues are also beneficial, said Graham. "Formal mentoring, I'm not a huge advocate of. e thing that helped me the most is finding those informal mentors within your network." Battling backlash If not addressed appropriately, the #MeToo movement could actually jeopardize opportunities for women, ac- cording to McIntosh. In the meantime, female leaders need to keep the faith when their colleagues attempt to quell change by labelling it as aggressive, she said. "It's an amazing compliment," said McIntosh. "Don't change a thing, just keep doing and acting." "Obviously, you have to be mature about it. You're not going to go in and be a bull in a china shop. Pick your spots. Be clear and succinct with your ideas and your comments." Some CEOs have chosen to follow in the footsteps of U.S. vice-president Mike Pence, who has consistently refused to meet with a woman alone, she said. "at's not exciting to me. Having a chaperone is really unfortunate," said McIntosh. "ere's some big things that we still really need to overcome… is is about building a foundation for future generations." Pence's actions reveal a different type of gender bias, while the risk of false accusations and the associated fallout also loom large in terms of the #MeToo movement's future, according to Martin. "at is the negative part of this whole type of conversation." I hope that in a male-dominated industry, males don't hesitate to mentor female managers because of #MeToo." ON THE COVER Panel participants from left to right: Lori McIntosh, Brooke Leland, Shelley Martin, Marcy Graham and Josianne Legare. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's unabashed advocacy for women on boards, more female entrepreneurs and modernization of maternity and paternity leaves is significant, says Brooke Leland of Cossette. Credit: REUTERS/Chris Donovan

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