Once again this year, Canada has a record number of women at the head of our businesses. While that’s good news, the pace of change is still too slow, and that’s especially true when it comes to diverse women. There is more work to do.

When women are in leadership roles—whether at the cabinet table or the boardroom table—better decisions are made. Building a Canada where it’s possible for more women to be at those tables is the work of leaders across the country, and it has been a priority for our government since…

As Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, I know how critical it is that women be empowered to engage more fully in the economic life of our country, especially in leadership roles.

The Rosenzweig report’s focus on women in Iran is a timely reminder that women have always been on the frontlines of change, even in the face of adversity. I’m extremely proud that our Women’s Liberal Caucus used our voices and digital platforms to politically sponsor 20 women prisoners

For 18 years, The Rosenzweig Report has provided us with critically important data charting the progress of women at the highest echelons of Canadian business. What sets this most recent report apart is that it also speaks to the broader human rights struggles of women globally – in countries like Iran, Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Russia.

We’re seeing gender rights trampled on the world over; from Putin’s Russia to Iran to the overturning Roe v. Wade in the United States. At age 21, I was a founding member of the Russian anti-establishment punk collective Pussy Riot. A year later, I was imprisoned for singing an anti-Putin song.

The beatings and torture. The unsanitary prison conditions. The loneliness, especially at night when sleep would evade me. The worries about my fate and that of my son and husband. I remember it all from prison. What kept me going was the trust and belief that others outside cared and were working for justice and my freedom.

For the past 18 years, the Rosenzweig Report has scrutinized how and whether women are progressing in business. Similarly, the National Black Canadians Summit, organized by the Michaëlle Jean Foundation, has looked at the situation of Black entrepreneurs…

Building a better future for me means having no borders, no racism, no sexism, and no war. As someone who was born in the Middle-East and experienced many ups and downs in my life because of the constant geo-political instability of Iran, dreaming of building a better future and…

In my decades-long commitment to the women’s rights movement, one thing has always been clear: we can’t address the world’s most pressing challenges without women at the table across all sectors from corporates, nonprofits, governments and at the grassroots level.

We need more women in leadership positions across the board. Allowing women to rise in the workplace unlocks greater impact for organizations, brings us closer to achieving gender equality, and accelerates the advancement of society at large. We have a long way to go, and progress is not guaranteed.

Women represent the archetypal divine feminine and our aspirations for beauty, intuition, nurturing, affection and tenderness. A leadership embodying those qualities could heal the world.