Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead Celebrate Five Years of Empowering Women in Media
Applications are now open for the 2025 Women in Media cohort
Five years, 130+ inspiring women, and a movement that’s just getting started.
Toronto, ON – Five years ago, Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead (WWL) set out to change the media landscape — by equipping women with the skills, confidence, and media training they need to effectively share their expertise and influence public discourse. Today, we proudly celebrate half a decade of amplifying the voices of women health care leaders through the Women in Media Fellowship.
We are thrilled to announce that applications for the 2025 Women in Media Fellowship are officially open. Women interested in being part of this free program can apply here by April 4th, 2025, and join a community redefining who gets to lead conversations in health care. We encourage those with both lived experience or with deep topic expertise to apply.
From coast to coast, this Fellowship has built a powerful network of over 130 women, equipping them with the tools and confidence to own their expertise, engage with media, and shape the conversations that matter in health care. It’s more than training—it’s a catalyst for change, pushing for stronger female representation in newsrooms, on panels, and beyond.
Over the years, the program has evolved to meet the changing needs of media, expanding its focus to include a session on how to build your personal brand and leveraging social media to reach broader audiences. Fellows also gain hands-on experience with interview coaching and strategies to navigate high-pressure media engagements.
In today’s health care landscape, key focus areas such as primary care, women’s health, digital health, and AI are rapidly evolving. As these topics gain prominence, they also bring about new challenges, including health disinformation, and highlighting the need for reliable experts to provide the public with trusted information.
This program started as a passion project between Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead, united by a vision of seeing more women represented in media and leadership roles. While women make up more than 70% of the health care workforce globally, their perspectives remain disproportionately absent in public discourse. The Women in Media Fellowship is helping to close that gap.
The Fellowship is limited to 30 spaces, with dedicated space reserved for early to mid-career women, racialized individuals, and those who identify as having a disability. We use the term ‘women’ inclusively and welcome all who identify as such, including non-binary individuals. All are encouraged to apply.
“Five years in, and we’re more energized than ever. It’s amazing to see the women we’ve trained confidently advocating, leading, and building their brands. I’m so proud of this strong, supportive community. While we’ve made great progress, there’s still more to do to close the gap. Excited to welcome a new cohort of Women in Media and keep growing this movement!”
Katie Heelis, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Canada and Lead for EnterpriseHealth
“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a real shift—but the work is far from over. Women are still underrepresented in boardrooms and media, and closing that gap remains critical. Watching the incredible growth of the women in our Fellowship has been inspiring. Year after year, we see more graduates stepping into the spotlight with confidence, using their voices to shape conversations and drive change. The impact is undeniable, and I’m excited to see how this community continues to grow and lead the way.”
Barbara Fox, CEO of Enterprise Canada
“For five years, we’ve been working to amplify the voices of women in health care, and the need has never been greater. Women are at the forefront of medical breakthroughs, frontline care, and health system leadership, yet their perspectives remain underrepresented in the media. This fellowship was created to change that. Our vision is to equip women in health care with the skills, confidence, and platform to advocate for their communities and shape the conversations that matter most.”
Laura Desveaux, Founder and Executive Director of Women Who Lead