Pledge to Empower More Women

In today’s installment of our multi-part Get To Know Us Better series, we share with you the Face of Leadership CEO Pledge, one of Goldcorp’s latest initiates in efforts to help increase gender diversity in the workplace.

Goldcorp was among 11 major B.C. companies that recently pledged to accelerate gender diversity in the workplace and women’s representation in leadership roles. Watching the event intently were Grade 11 girls hoping for a real paradigm shift and opportunities to apply their Learning to Lead™ program skills when they enter the labour force.

The CEO Pledge, as well as Learning to Lead, are initiatives of the Minerva Foundation, a B.C. non-profit organization helping females gain confidence and capabilities to be business leaders. Through programming, education and partnerships with Aboriginal groups, Minerva elevates the visibility, influence and contribution of women to change the face of leadership.

"Studies show consistently that gender diversity correlates with better business outcomes” says Minerva CEO Adine Mees. “However, very little in the leadership landscape has changed in the past 10 years.” Indeed, according to Business in Vancouver, national statistics for 2014 cite women comprised only 17% of corporate Board membership, which is far short of the federal government’s goal of 30% representation by 2019.

Not long ago, Minerva released the Face of LeadershipTM BC Score Card 2015, a snapshot of gender diversity in leadership roles in 28 B.C. companies across sectors. It measures the proportion of women on Boards, in executive and senior management positions, of Aboriginal descent, and the existence of policies promoting women into leadership positions.

In evaluations of the materials sector, of which Goldcorp was a part, B.C. companies scored higher than TSX benchmarks, averaging 11% of women on Boards versus 6% nationally, and 16% in senior management compared to 10% nationally. Goldcorp scored 20% in both categories, and was noted as one of only 10 companies with a gender diversity policy in place.

Goldcorp has been working to improve progress in gender diversity for some time. The company’s Creating Choices program launched in 2011 as an enterprise-wide training and mentoring initiative spearheaded by Anna Tudela, Goldcorp’s Vice President, Diversity, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Secretary. Phase 2 of the program, called Growing Choices rolled out in 2015. Learn more in our Above Ground Magazine.

As both a Goldcorp senior manager and Board member at Minerva, Christine Marks, Director, Corporate Communications, says while she’s proud of Goldcorp’s diversity programs and distinction as the first in the mining industry to sign The Catalyst Accord committed to boosting women’s representation on Boards, there is still much to do.

“What the Face of Leadership study clearly indicates is that as an industry, we still have a lot of work to do to speed the pace of progress in order to achieve gender equality. Recently Goldcorp has teamed with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. We’re widening support networks and cross-pollinating ideas to accelerate change - for our employees, for those Grade 11 girls and for all kids. They deserve to enter barrier-free workplaces with the confidence, skills and support to reach their full leadership potential.”

Read the entire Score Card Report and learn about the Minerva Foundation at theminervafoundation.com.