United Way East Ontario is working with organizations across Prescott-Russell to address systemic barriers faced by women and girls in the area.
We recently got together with members of the Table Concerté.e.s pour l’égalité, a collaborative initiative co-chaired by United Way and Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell (LFPR), for a symposium in Bourget.
With more than 30 member organizations, the table unites a diverse group of partner organizations, all committed to creating lasting, positive changes for women and girls in their communities. By encouraging collaboration across sectors, United Way helps create a unified approach that drives sustainable progress, ensuring that no voice goes unheard in the fight for gender equality.
“United Way has done a tremendous job bringing everyone together,” says Doreen Ashton Wagner, Executive Director, Business Sisters | Consœurs En Affaires. “[Getting together around one table] gives us a better understanding of the impact of everybody’s work and the role we all have to play in creating opportunities and resiliency for women and young girls.”
The status of women in Prescott-Russell
The Table Concerté.e.s pour l’égalité is dedicated to understanding the challenges women face in Prescott-Russell by exploring the issues that matter most. Its mandate is to contribute to the resilience and empowerment of women and girls in rural areas by eliminating systemic barriers and creating an environment conducive to gender equality.
In 2024, the table released a report on the status of women in the region, highlighting systemic barriers and gender inequities that need to be addressed. The report collected data across four key areas: health and social equity, economy and entrepreneurship, justice and security, and politics and governance.
It showed that women in Prescott-Russell continue to face:
- More pronounced mental health challenges.
- An increasing need for housing, especially for women with children.
- A wage gap that persists at 17 per cent, with women disproportionately represented in lower-paying jobs and underrepresented in higher-paying roles.
- A troubling rise in violence against women, including a notable increase among older and immigrant women.
- Underrepresentation in municipal politics, signaling the need for greater representation in local decision-making positions.
Building a stronger, more equitable future for all
Using the information gathered in the Table Concerté.e.s pour l’égalité’s 2024 report, we are raising awareness for the most pressing issues facing women and girls in Prescott-Russell and laying the foundation for social change.
“It matters to people living here because women are equal, contributing members of society,” says Geneviève Béland, Board Member, LFPR.
At United Way, we know the toughest social challenges take more than just one person, organization, or sector to solve. We are stronger when we work together, with diverse voices at the table, to tackle tough problems.
“Communities within Prescott-Russell can often feel isolated from one another but they face many of the same challenges, and that’s why it’s so important to bring everyone together and present a unified and aligned front to tackling issues related to gender equality.”
Social and systems change is hard, slow, and cannot be achieved by one organization alone, but your donation to United Way helps us bring communities together to make the type of long-lasting impact that ensures everyone can reach their full potential.
