FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 5, 2021
Regina, SK – The City of Regina has signed the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter, becoming the first city in Saskatchewan to formally commit to supporting local women entrepreneurs. This initiative is led by Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan (WESK) to address the gender entrepreneurship gap in the province.
In May of 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the creation of the WESK-led Saskatchewan Advisory Committee. A group of prominent business leaders advised on strategies, policies, and activities to help achieve gender parity for Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs. The final report, entitled Enabling Scale in Saskatchewan, includes ten recommendations. The launch of the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter is one of the first recommendations to be addressed.
The Charter affirms a commitment to advancing women entrepreneurship and building connections through four defining principles: 1) Procure with her; 2) Amplify her voice; 3) Share skills with her; and 4) Shatter a ceiling. Through signing, Charter Champions are not only committing to doing business with local women-owned companies, but they are also actively seeking and creating opportunities to support women entrepreneurs in practical and quantifiable ways.
“On behalf of City Council, it is important we provide all residents with an equal opportunity to succeed” says Mayor Sandra Masters. “The City of Regina is signing this Charter with WESK to provide procurement inclusion for women entrepreneurs and bolstering growth in our local economy.”
One of the priorities identified in the City of Regina’s Community Plan is fostering economic prosperity by supporting a vibrant and diverse economy, which aligns with the intentions of the established Charter. Through this alignment, there is an evident opportunity to stimulate women-owned business growth in Regina and in turn, the province. By signing the Charter, the City of Regina is creating space for other municipalities to declare their commitment to closing the gender entrepreneurship gap in Saskatchewan.
“The City of Regina’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs in our province is applauded,” commented Prabha Mitchell, CEO of WESK. “By being the first municipality in Saskatchewan to formally sign the Charter, the City of Regina is pioneering the way for other cities to convey their dedication.”
Women entrepreneurs are major contributors to economic growth and job creation. In 2019, women entrepreneurs contributed $23.1 billion to the Saskatchewan economy and created 191,836 jobs. However, research indicates women entrepreneurs encounter unique barriers that hinder full participation in growing the wealth of our province. By understanding and addressing the unique barriers that women entrepreneurs encounter, Charter Champions can enhance opportunities to scale businesses and boost economic growth in the province.
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For more information, please contact:
Josie Fries, Marketing Advisor, WESK
T: 306-477-6286
E: jfries@wesk.ca
W www.wesk.ca
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About WESK
WESK is a non-profit, membership-based organization that provides business advising, lending, mentoring, networking, and learning opportunities. WESK is supported by Western Economic Diversification Canada.
Since 1995, WESK has provided over $40.4 million in financing to women entrepreneurs and as a result, more than $3.43 million has been leveraged.