Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead Launch 3rd Year of Women in Media Fellowship

Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead continue to address under representation of women health leaders in media coverage

March 8, 2023– Toronto, ON – On International Women’s Day, Enterprise Canada, a national strategic communications firm, and Women Who Lead (WWL), a Not for Profit addressing the gap in professional development opportunities for women, are opening applications for the third Women in Media Fellowship. As the conversation about health care across the country continues to be dominant in media, this fellowship provides women in healthcare the skills they need to take their place as subject matter experts in the media.

Over the past two years, Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead have worked with over 65 women health care leaders from across the country. This program takes fellows on a journey of education about the media landscape, best practices to prepare for an interview, how to build a brand on social media, as well as ability to practice skills in a simulated interview.

This program was born out of joint passion from Enterprise Canada and Women Who Lead to see more women represented in media during the peak of the pandemic in 2021. During this time, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, from data collected by Informed Opinions, confirmed what the Canadian population experienced – that women comprise just 31% of sources quoted in major Canadian outlets addressing COVID-19.

This is a global trend. Only 40% of TV news sources were women, with radio and newspapers trailing even further behind at 36% and 28%, respectively. The number of women who were actually introduced as experts was even lower.

“Women comprise 70% of the health workforce worldwide, have demonstrated steadfast leadership amid persistent resource challenges, and continue to have the courage to reimagine healthcare to close persistent health gaps for communities across Canada. Despite this, the experts we see and the voices we hear in the media related to healthcare transformation and innovation are predominantly men,” said Dr. Laura Desveaux, Founder and Executive Director of Women Who Lead.   “We are steadfast in our vision to equip women in healthcare with the skills and opportunities to deliver outsized impacts for the communities and causes they serve, and our continued partnership with Enterprise advances and builds upon that vision year over year.”

In addition to skills-building workshops, the Women in Media Fellowship drives a broader conversation on this important issue, builds an expansive network of women leaders in health care and gives the women the confidence to participate in media interviews.

“The [Women in Media] fellowship provided us with the tools to develop and communicate key messages. It is crucial to remind ourselves of our own expertise as women in health care,” Year 1 Fellow, Dr. Milena Forte explains, “That is the future of health care.”

“We’re proud to partner with Women Who Lead and share the media training experience and expertise of the talented women on our team,” Enterprise Canada CEO Barbara Fox said. “It’s important that women’s voices are heard as the healthcare system continues to evolve.”

“We will not only be equipping women leaders in health care with the tools and training to confidently address the media, but putting them directly in touch with news outlets,” Katie Heelis, Vice President, Enterprise Canada and Lead EnterpriseHealth. “It is our hope that with these efforts we better reflect our health care sector when we turn on the news or open a news article.”

Enterprise Canada is committed to providing media training for other underrepresented groups in the future.

Women interested in applying to be a part of the free Women in Media Fellowship can apply here before March 31, 2023. We use the term ‘women’ inclusively and welcome all that identify as such, as well as non-binary people.

The Fellowship is limited to 30 spaces, and there will be dedicated space reserved for early to mid-career women, racialized individuals, and those that identify as having a disability. All are encouraged to apply.

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