Unconscious Bias Series: Overcoming Bias for Career Success

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According to the Canadian Women's Foundation, 35 per cent of Canadian women in 2015 had a university certificate or degree, compared to 30 per cent of men. Yet despite equivalent time at a job, women are significantly less likely than men to be promoted. They are over-represented in part-time work and lower-paid work, and some have yet to achieve pay equity.

Unconscious bias plays a role in creating barriers to the full participation, pay equity, and career advancement of women. For example, women comprise 19.5 per cent of the board members for Canada's top 500 companies (Source: Annual Report Card, 2015. Canadian Board Diversity Council).

Helping professionals and businesses understand unconscious bias and what they can do to create bias-free workplaces will benefit not only the individual, but businesses and the Canadian economy as well. (Source : Facts About Women and Leadership)

Why you need to attend:

• Define bias and stereotypes and the sources of bias that affect women and other groups of people.
• Learn how our brains process information and how that influences how we interact with others.
• Understand how our own unconscious bias holds us from advancing our careers and taking on opportunities to grow.
• Network and discuss strategies to mitigate bias in ourselves and others.  

This event will mark the release of the 2019 WE FOR SHE Snapshot, which reflects on five years of this collaborative gender equality movement in BC. Organized by the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and Women's Enterprise Centre (WEC), with support from the Province of BC and Minerva, WE FOR SHE engages business leaders and young women to learn and discuss solutions to support women in the workplace and to inspire young women to be bold in their careers.

In 2018, Jill Earthy and Lois Nahirney were honoured with the HSBC Community Contributor of the Year award by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) for their work as Co-Chairs of WE FOR SHE. On February 14, they will join Laurel Douglas from WEC to share the updated 2019 WE FOR SHE BC Action Plan, informed by over 5,000 forum participants, diversity research and best practices.