January Challenge: Empowered You

As we enter the new year, the Works for Women community is wishing you a very Happy New Year. A reminder from our December Challenge that we need to continue to be mindful of our mental health and well-being. Let's contribute to our success in 2018 by continuing to employ our strategy for personal well-being - showing the leadership for your own mental health awareness will most certainly have ripple effects on the teams we lead and the individuals we work with. 
As Works for Women took time to reflect on 2017, we were reminded of where we started – a movement to spark dialogue, build awareness, and inspire action; a place to education, create connections and provide you with resources to make Alberta a better place for women to work. 2017 saw Edmonton rise in ranks in the gender gap study of Canada’s 25 biggest cities. The Best and Worst Places be a Women in Canada 2017 report speaks to Edmonton continuing to struggle with one of the largest wage gaps in the country, however, the city has started an initiative to support women’s leadership, adding more voices to the public sphere and highlighting the concerns of women in the city. Calgary moved up slightly from 23rd, to 22nd and boosts a new initiative called Ask Her is a campaign aimed at electing more women to city council in Calgary.

2017 was also a year in which women’s issues were truly on the forefront – starting with the Women’s March, International Women’s Day, and the #MeToo movement. There was certainly an unbelievable force to Be Bold for Change. There is a very strong and growing global movement of advocacy, activism and support for a brighter future for women.

January Challenge – Empowered You

Our challenge this month is simple – how are you going to characterize the work you do in 2018? What is the one word that you can remind yourself of everyday of how are you going to show up, each and every day, to be your best self, to drive change, to pave the way for optimism in 2018 to ensure that all have equal opportunities.
 
To join the challenge, simply:

1. Identify how you are going to characterize your year – how will you be bold for change?
2. Share your word with your network and broaden the reach by using the hashtags: #WorksForWomenAB #BeBoldForChange
3. Connect with others in your network and encourage them to join our community and ask them to think about how they what to characterize their own year ahead

​
Together we can use our motivation, voices, and bold leadership to drive change for new social norms to emerge – to increase scrutiny of the number of women on corporate boards and in other leadership positions, increase focus on supporting women in career progression, and gender equality. Let us be reminded of the words of Oprah, "What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I'm especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories.” Let's all share our stories and be the change we want to see in the world. Let’s make 2018 a year of progress, and a year for women!

Resources
​
Here are a few resources to get you thinking about your word this month:

• Define Your Personal Leadership Brand in Five Steps
• How Values Light the Way Exercise 

Please stay tuned for a new Works for Women website in 2018 – speaking to how Works for Women connects, challenges, and provides tools to make Alberta a better place for women to work.
In closing, thank you again for helping to spark dialogue, build awareness, and inspire action. We are reminded that change does not happen overnight, but by uniting our community we can take direct action to impact change. On behalf of Works for Women, thank you for helping us drive change in Alberta.