Minister Ng participates in International Women’s Day roundtable discussion hosted by Startup Canada
News release
March 8, 2021 – Ottawa, Ontario
The Government of Canada is committed to supporting women and women entrepreneurs during the pandemic and recovery. Women entrepreneurs make incredible contributions to the Canadian economy every day and will be critical to Canada’s economic success moving forward. At the same time, they continue to face systemic barriers to success, including access to financing, and are more likely to operate in some of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19, such as retail, hospitality and food services.
Today, on International Women’s Day, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, spoke with women entrepreneurs taking part in a roundtable discussion hosted by Startup Canada.
The conversation took place virtually and included Canadian women entrepreneurs and private sector leaders with diverse experiences and ideas for promoting women’s economic empowerment and supporting women entrepreneurs during the pandemic and on the road to recovery. Minister Ng highlighted the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), a nearly $5 billion cross-government investment that aims to support women-owned businesses with the financing, talent, networks and expertise they need to start up, scale up and grow across Canada and around the world. In May 2020, the Government of Canada invested an additional $15 million into the WES to ensure that women have the support they need during the current crisis.
The WES complements other government efforts to support women during COVID-19, including using gender-based analysis to create economic supports in response to the pandemic, boosting the Canada Child Benefit to help working parents, investing almost $1.2 billion to support child care in 2020–2021, and legislating pay equity.
An inclusive recovery offers the opportunity to advance gender equality and provide economic and social stability for all Canadians. Minister Ng discussed the importance of an inclusive, feminist recovery from COVID-19, touching on the country’s theme for this year’s International Women’s Day: Canada’s Feminist Response and Recovery.
Quotes
“Today, more than ever, we recognize and thank women entrepreneurs for their tireless efforts to grow the Canadian economy and support our communities. International Women’s Day is a time not only to celebrate their accomplishments, but also to reflect on areas where we can strive to be even better. COVID-19 has had a major impact on Canadian businesses, particularly on those owned by women, and our government is committed to supporting them as we navigate this crisis and prioritizing them in our commitment to an inclusive recovery.”
– The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
Quick facts
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The Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES) is a nearly $5 billion investment that aims to increase women-owned businesses’ access to the financing, talent, networks and expertise they need to start up, scale up and access new markets. In the fall 2020 Speech from the Throne, the government committed to accelerating the work of the WES, which has already helped women across Canada grow their businesses.
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In May 2020, the Government of Canada also provided $15 million in new funding to the WES Ecosystem Fund, enabling existing recipient organizations to provide women entrepreneurs with urgent business support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Visit Women and Gender Equality Canada for more information on International Women’s Day and Canada’s Feminist Response and Recovery.
Contacts
Youmy Han
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
343-551-0246
youmy.han@international.gc.ca
Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca
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