Inclusive Growth

A Canada for All Canadians

Our mission is to drive change, partner broadly and be the undisputed champion and catalyst for the future of business success. To deliver on this mission, we are committed to inclusive growth and enhancing support for members to fill their talent and skills gaps, and in doing so, increase opportunities for underrepresented segments of the Canadian population to fully participate and thrive in the economy.

Our prosperity depends on a strong business community that innovates, attracts talent and capital and expands into new markets. Ensuring all Canadians—from all sectors, regions and backgrounds— have the opportunity to participate in and rise up is one way to address this issue. The lessons we learned during COVID-19 demonstrate that this is truer than ever.

At the Canadian Chamber, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are central and essential to fairness of opportunity, competitiveness of business, economic growth and our nation’s prosperity. A vast body of research shows the most successful organizations are creating diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces in which individual differences and the contributions of all employees are equally recognized and valued.

Inclusion also makes financial sense. Improved participation rates could add 2.2 million workers to the labour force by 2040, including more women, Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities. Not to mention grow our economy by $101 billion.

The Inclusive Growth campaign is working to mobilize the knowledge and resources of the Chamber Network to be a strong agent for change. As the largest business association in Canada, and with the grassroots strength of over 400 chambers of commerce and board of trade across Canada, we want to empower our Network to influence policy and government decisions and programs, to share and amplify member expertise and to leverage tools to support the business community in taking action.

Council for Women’s Advocacy

The Council for Women’s Advocacy (CWA) is a cornerstone of the Canadian Chamber’s inclusive growth and recovery efforts. It has been established to bring the voice and perspectives of women to national policies, inform the Canadian Chamber’s initiatives in advancing the gender equality agenda, and drive meaningful action to address the identified issues and barriers women face to fully participate and thrive in the economy.

The COVID-19 pandemic had disproportionate effects on women and has threatened the progress made in women’s economic participation. Despite some signs of recovery, some research suggests that Canada’s economic recovery has proven to be as unequal as the initial downturn. Longstanding gender inequalities in the labour market, such as the wage gap and the chronic underrepresentation of women in higher-paying industries and in senior and executive-level roles, also persist.

As Canada pursues a post-pandemic recovery, it is crucial to increase our efforts to address the barriers faced by women and advance gender equality. If women’s full economic participation falls behind, we will not have a strong and growing economy.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

As part of the Canadian Chamber’s Inclusive Growth initiative, the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council was established to:

1. Advocate for federal policies that increase opportunities and remove barriers for members of underrepresented groups to fully participate in the economy
2. Inform the Canadian Chamber’s initiatives in supporting underrepresented and equity-deserving groups
3. Drive meaningful action to address the identified challenges and opportunities underrepresented individuals face entering the workforce and through the talent pipeline into leadership positions

In 2022, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council focused on two main topics: supplier diversity and board and executive diversity. The Council met with government officials and relevant organizations, and created a supplier diversity handbook to encourage businesses to create procurement opportunities for underrepresented business owners.

For more information, please contact John Maus.

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