Saskatchewan Trade & Export Partnership (STEP), an agency dedicated to bringing Saskatchewan goods and services to the world, has made the commitment to support women-owned businesses by signing WESK’s Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter. STEP provides critical support for Saskatchewan’s exporters in established markets while tapping into new markets through a comprehensive suite of programs and services.
Signing the Charter was a natural progression for STEP. Many of their most successful members are women. Chris Dekker, CEO of STEP says “Over the years, STEP and WESK have worked closely to support and promote women exporters in Saskatchewan. The Charter Champion initiative will not only expand on this effort but will help create new opportunities for women to engage on the international stage.”
Saskatchewan is one of the most export dependent provinces in one of the most export dependent countries in the world. (STEP, 2021) The province relies on the economic activity created by Saskatchewan exporters to generate jobs, taxes, and royalties to fund everything from education and health care to roads and infrastructure. By making the commitment to support women entrepreneurs, STEP is recognizing the value women bring to the Saskatchewan economy.
STEP is currently working on two of the Charter principles, Share Skills with Her and Shatter a Ceiling. STEP offers a full suite of programs designed to help Saskatchewan exporters reach their full potential. Through mentoring and training, STEP hopes to advance more women into exports by helping them gain access to market entry and preparing them for international opportunities. They also recognize the importance of having women in leadership roles. STEP is proud to express that over the past 10 years, women representation on their Board of Directors has increased from 21% to 47%.
STEP recently celebrated 25 years of supporting Saskatchewan exporters. Over the past 25 years, Saskatchewan has seen remarkable growth in international trade with total exports more than tripling to $30.3B in 2020. (STEP, 2021) By signing the Charter and making supplier diversity a priority, STEP is paving the way for women exporters in other provinces. STEP is proud to recognize the contributions their women members make to our economy and look forward to supporting them further through this initiative.
About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter
The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.
About the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter
The Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is an initiative launched by WESK to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in our province. The charter is comprised of four principles to provide guidance and examples as to how you and your organization can best support local women-owned businesses.