Panel Pledge/About the pledge
| About the Pledge | Take the Pledge | Tools and FAQ |
In taking the Panel Pledge (or any of its iterations), pledges demonstrate committed action to combatting gender discrimination and amplifying the voices of women globally.
The Panel Pledge is an initiative established to demand gender diversity on panels known by many names globally, and pledge takers include individuals as well as various companies and organizations. Not only does it help hold individuals accountable to addressing their unconscious biases, it also improves accessibility to various forums for women globally.
The Panel Pledge at Shared Services Canada is championed by Executive Vice-President and Champion for Women, Sarah Paquet, and launched in 2019. In 2020, it’s more important than ever. Gender parity at events and on panels still has a long way to go, but by taking the Panel Pledge and holding yourself and others accountable, we can make this a reality.
The initiative requires pledges to commit to not speaking on male-only panels. Those who take the panel pledge also commit to advocating for women’s representation on panels by asking the following questions:
- Are there women, or equal numbers of men and women, participating in the panel?
- What is the event organizer doing to ensure gender diversity at their event?
- Will the organizers commit to reaching out to additional resources to attain gender balance on their panel and at their event?
Taking the #GCPanelPledge represents a commitment to advancing the profile of women across the Government of Canada- both in and out of the STEM space.
