Dr. Melanie Ratnam
Neuroscientist, Entrepreneur & SCWIST Director of Policy & Advocacy
Lily Takeuchi
Biomedical Engineer, PhD Student & SCWIST Vice President & Director of Business Development
Since 1981, SCWIST has delivered high-impact programs to remove barriers that prevent women from entering and advancing in STEM careers.
After 40 years of STEM impact, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST) continues to evolve to advance its vision and mission.
SCWIST has partnered with the Government of Canada and over 1600 organizations on the 50-30 Challenge, with a goal to achieve gender parity (50 per cent) and increase participation of underrepresented groups (30 per cent) in STEM workplaces. To better understand how STEM companies can create change, SCWIST surveyed 552 STEM employees about their perspectives on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to help move the dial forward.
“There’s a growing awareness among STEM employees that achieving 50-30 within an organization can help improve business outcomes by eight times and financial targets by two times. With 93 per cent of our survey respondents seeking help to achieve 50-30 within their workplace, our SCWIST team continues to provide resources to support EDI efforts,” says Dr. Melanie Ratnam, SCWIST Director of Policy and Advocacy.
“SCWIST is also committed to improving access to STEM career pathways through its job board, annual career fair, resume coaching, workshops, mentoring, and networking connections,” shared Lily Takeuchi, Vice-President and Director of Business Development at SCWIST.
Further, SCWIST aims to support employers to introduce equitable hiring practices, and advocates for pay equity, flexible work, parental leave, and inclusive workplace cultures through its STEM Forward for Economic Prosperity project, supported by Canada’s $100 million Feminist Response Recovery Fund.
By increasing the number of diverse, STEM-trained people in the workforce, we can solve the complex problems of today and the future. SCWIST is proud to empower girls from grade school to their career launch and beyond, through programs including Youth Engagement, Immigrating Women in STEM, Make Possible, Make Diversity Possible, and Supporting Safe STEM Workplaces.
