{"id":14067,"date":"2025-08-15T12:46:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/?page_id=14067"},"modified":"2025-08-15T12:58:22","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T16:58:22","slug":"womens-equality-day","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/womens-equality-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Women’s Equality Day"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Women's Equality Day<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Empowering Women<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Women’s Equality Day – August 2025<\/span><\/h1>

Women\u2019s equality is not just a social imperative\u2014it is an economic necessity. Empowering women to participate fully in business and leadership drives innovation, strengthens communities, and contributes to more inclusive economies. Yet, systemic barriers continue to limit women\u2019s opportunities in entrepreneurship and financial independence. That is why the work of organizations like the PARO Centre for Women\u2019s Enterprise is more vital than ever.<\/p>

As one of North America\u2019s most impactful organizations supporting women entrepreneurs, PARO has dedicated decades to fostering women\u2019s economic growth. Through its award-winning peer lending model, micro-financing, business training, and mentoring, PARO has helped thousands of women start and scale successful enterprises. These services are especially crucial in reaching underserved communities\u2014including rural, remote, and Indigenous women\u2014where access to traditional resources is often limited.<\/p>

A significant moment highlighting PARO\u2019s influence and deep commitment to cross-cultural unity occurred at the 2024 PARO International Women\u2019s Day event in North Bay. There, Rosalind Lockyer, Founder and CEO of PARO, was honoured with an eagle feather by Chrystal Tabobandung, a respected entrepreneur and proud Anishnabekwe from the Ojibway tribe, Wasauksing First Nation. Chrystal is also the founder of RAISE (Indigenous Cultural Awareness & Competency Training), an initiative rooted in education and reconciliation.<\/p>

In Indigenous culture, the eagle feather is one of the highest honours a person can receive. It signifies trust, respect, courage, and wisdom. The gift is sacred\u2014never to be bought, asked for, or taken\u2014and receiving it is a rare and powerful acknowledgement. For Rosalind, this honour recognized her tireless work in dismantling barriers for women entrepreneurs, and symbolized the shared strength and solidarity among women from all communities.<\/p>

Beyond its programming, PARO is active in community outreach through trade missions and tradeshows, where it connects directly with aspiring and established women entrepreneurs. These events are an essential avenue for PARO to raise awareness, build networks, and offer real-time support to women seeking guidance on how to start or grow a business. Whether attending regional tradeshows in Northern Ontario or participating in national and international trade missions, PARO creates opportunities for women to showcase their businesses, gain exposure, and access new markets.<\/p>

One such success story is Sarah Sekalala, founder of Siika Foods, a growing food business rooted in African-inspired cuisine. Sarah, a proud PARO woman, has leveraged the organization\u2019s resources and support to turn her culinary passion into a thriving venture. With guidance from PARO\u2019s team and access to financial and networking opportunities, Sarah has expanded Siika Foods into a recognized brand, introducing new flavours to Canadian palates while proudly representing her cultural heritage. Her journey exemplifies the transformative power of economic empowerment and the importance of community-driven support.<\/p>

As we reflect on the ongoing struggle for gender equality, it is stories like Sarah\u2019s\u2014and moments like the honouring of Rosalind Lockyer\u2014that illustrate what is possible when women are given the tools and support they need to succeed. Through collaboration, education, and shared purpose, organizations like PARO continue to pave the way for a more inclusive and equitable future.<\/p>

To witness this inspiring moment and hear the poem read by Chrystal Tabobandung, watch the video here:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Journ\u00e9e de l’\u00e9galit\u00e9 des femmes – ao\u00fbt 2025<\/span><\/h1>

L\u2019\u00e9galit\u00e9 des femmes n\u2019est pas seulement un imp\u00e9ratif social, c\u2019est une n\u00e9cessit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique. En donnant aux femmes les moyens de participer pleinement aux affaires et au leadership, nous stimulons l\u2019innovation, renfor\u00e7ons les collectivit\u00e9s et contribuons \u00e0 des \u00e9conomies plus inclusives. Cependant, des obstacles syst\u00e9miques continuent de limiter les possibilit\u00e9s des femmes en mati\u00e8re d\u2019entrepreneuriat et d\u2019ind\u00e9pendance financi\u00e8re. C\u2019est pourquoi les travaux d\u2019organisations comme le Centre PARO pour l\u2019entreprise des femmes sont plus que jamais indispensables.<\/p>

PARO, l\u2019une des organisations les plus influentes en Am\u00e9rique du Nord qui soutient les femmes entrepreneures, se d\u00e9voue depuis des d\u00e9cennies afin de favoriser la croissance \u00e9conomique des femmes. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 son mod\u00e8le de cr\u00e9dit d\u2019entraide prim\u00e9, au micro-financement, \u00e0 la formation en affaires et au mentorat, PARO a aid\u00e9 des milliers de femmes \u00e0 d\u00e9marrer et \u00e0 d\u00e9velopper des entreprises prosp\u00e8res. Ces services sont particuli\u00e8rement essentiels pour atteindre les collectivit\u00e9s mal desservies, y compris les femmes des r\u00e9gions rurales, \u00e9loign\u00e9es et autochtones, o\u00f9 l\u2019acc\u00e8s aux ressources traditionnelles est souvent limit\u00e9.<\/p>

\u00c0 l\u2019occasion de la Journ\u00e9e internationale de la femme\u00a02024 \u00e0 North Bay, un moment important s\u2019est produit durant l\u2019\u00e9v\u00e8nement qui a mis en lumi\u00e8re l\u2019influence de PARO et son engagement profond \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9gard de l\u2019unit\u00e9 interculturelle\u00a0: Rosalind\u00a0Lockyer, fondatrice et directrice g\u00e9n\u00e9rale de PARO, a \u00e9t\u00e9 honor\u00e9e d\u2019une plume d\u2019aigle, remise par Chrystal\u00a0Tabobandung, une femme entrepreneure respect\u00e9e et fi\u00e8re Anishnabekwe de la tribu Ojibway de la Premi\u00e8re nation Wasauksing. Chrystal est \u00e9galement la fondatrice de RAISE (Sensibilisation et formation aux comp\u00e9tences culturelles autochtones), une initiative ancr\u00e9e dans l\u2019\u00e9ducation et la r\u00e9conciliation.<\/p>

La plume d\u2019aigle est l\u2019un des plus grands honneurs qu\u2019une personne puisse recevoir dans la culture autochtone. Elle repr\u00e9sente la confiance, le respect, le courage et la sagesse. C\u2019est un cadeau sacr\u00e9\u00a0– il ne doit jamais \u00eatre achet\u00e9, demand\u00e9 ou pris – et le recevoir est une reconnaissance rare et forte. Pour Rosalind, cet honneur reconna\u00eet son travail inlassable pour \u00e9liminer les obstacles auxquels se heurtent les femmes entrepreneures et symbolise la force commune et la solidarit\u00e9 entre les femmes de toutes les collectivit\u00e9s.<\/p>

Au-del\u00e0 de ses programmes, le Centre PARO participe activement \u00e0 la sensibilisation communautaire dans des missions commerciales et des salons professionnels, o\u00f9 il \u00e9tablit des liens directs avec les femmes entrepreneures novices et exp\u00e9riment\u00e9es. Ces \u00e9v\u00e9nements sont un moyen essentiel par lequel PARO sensibilise les gens, \u00e9tablit des r\u00e9seaux et offre un soutien en temps r\u00e9el aux femmes qui cherchent \u00e0 obtenir des conseils sur la fa\u00e7on de d\u00e9marrer ou de faire cro\u00eetre une entreprise. Qu\u2019il s\u2019agisse d\u2019assister \u00e0 des salons professionnels r\u00e9gionaux dans le Nord de l\u2019Ontario ou de participer \u00e0 des missions commerciales nationales et internationales, PARO cr\u00e9e des occasions pour permettre aux femmes de mettre en valeur leurs entreprises, de se faire conna\u00eetre et d\u2019acc\u00e9der \u00e0 de nouveaux march\u00e9s.<\/p>

L\u2019une de ces histoires de r\u00e9ussite est celle de Sarah\u00a0Sekalala, fondatrice de Siika\u00a0Foods, une entreprise alimentaire en pleine croissance ancr\u00e9e dans la cuisine africaine. Sarah, une fi\u00e8re membre de PARO, a tir\u00e9 parti des ressources et du soutien de l\u2019organisation pour transformer sa passion culinaire en entreprise florissante. Gr\u00e2ce aux conseils de l\u2019\u00e9quipe de PARO et \u00e0 l\u2019acc\u00e8s \u00e0 des possibilit\u00e9s financi\u00e8res et de r\u00e9seautage, Sarah a fait de Siika\u00a0Foods une marque reconnue et introduit de nouvelles saveurs dans les assiettes canadiennes, tout en repr\u00e9sentant fi\u00e8rement son patrimoine culturel. Son parcours illustre le pouvoir transformateur de l\u2019autonomisation \u00e9conomique et l\u2019importance du soutien communautaire.<\/p>

Alors que nous r\u00e9fl\u00e9chissons \u00e0 la lutte en cours pour l\u2019\u00e9galit\u00e9 des sexes, les histoires comme celle de Sarah\u00a0– et des moments comme l\u2019hommage rendu \u00e0 Rosalind\u00a0Lockyer- illustrent ce qui peut \u00eatre accompli quand les femmes re\u00e7oivent les outils et le soutien dont elles ont besoin pour r\u00e9ussir. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 la collaboration, \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9ducation et \u00e0 des objectifs communs, des organisations comme PARO continuent d\u2019ouvrir la voie \u00e0 un avenir plus inclusif et \u00e9quitable.<\/p>

Pour assister \u00e0 ce moment inspirant et \u00e9couter le po\u00e8me lu par Chrystal\u00a0Tabobandung, regardez la vid\u00e9o ici\u00a0:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Women’s Equality Day Empowering Women Women’s Equality Day – August 2025 Women\u2019s equality is not just a social imperative\u2014it is an economic necessity. Empowering women to participate fully in business and leadership drives innovation, strengthens communities, and contributes to more inclusive economies. Yet, systemic barriers continue to limit women\u2019s opportunities in entrepreneurship and financial independence. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14067","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/14067\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paro.ca\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}