WEKH’s Dr. Wendy Cukier leads fireside discussion of opportunities for women-led businesses within federal Build Canada Strong initiative
“Our government believes that all women deserve the opportunity to participate, lead and thrive. Their increased participation helps grow Canada’s economy, adding billions of dollars in GDP. Simply put, we cannot build the strongest economy in the G7 without the full and active participation of women.”
The Honourable Rechie Valdez, Canada’s Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism made the statement at “Women Build Canada: Sustaining Success in Critical Sectors”, an event organized by the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) and the Diversity Institute at Ottawa’s Rideau Club in November.
Describing her own experiences as a founder, the Minister shared with the audience of women entrepreneurs and ecosystem partners that she “discovered in that journey all the barriers and challenges that entrepreneurs still face today, especially accessing capital networks and mentorship”.
“Those experiences have shaped my role, both as the minister for small business and tourism and for women and gender equality. When I sit at the cabinet table, I’m thinking about the women founders who are scaling their companies, women entrepreneurs who are ready to export, and the women with the innovative ideas who are still being overlooked and often underestimated.”
Sharing highlights of the federal government’s Budget 2025 which had just been passed during the previous week, Minister Valdez revealed that federal investments of more than $7 billion through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy have helped nearly 500,000 women access financing, advisory services, networking opportunities and mentorship.
In addition to a five-year budget commitment of more than $660 million to sustain the Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE), Budget 2025 includes a $380 million commitment “to revitalize and stabilize efforts to advance women’s equality in Canada through initiatives like the Women’s Program”, she noted.
The Minister also highlighted initiatives aimed at strengthening tools and resources for women-led businesses, including $46.5 million for the SME Export Readiness Program, $68 million to expand CanExport “so that more women led companies can reach new markets with confidence”, and the Productivity Super Deduction, a suite of tax incentives designed to make it easier for small businesses to invest in technology, equipment and innovation including artificial intelligence.
Fireside discussion explores gender-based policymaking, supports for women-led SMEs
Following her opening remarks, the Minister joined Dr. Wendy Cukier, WEKH’s founder and Academic Director, for a wide-ranging fireside conversation.
Welcoming the Government of Canada’s commitment to WAGE and support for the Women’s Entrepreneur Strategy, Dr. Cukier invited the Minister to share her perspectives on key budget measures, the role of wraparound supports for women founders, and how women-led businesses can seize opportunities within the context of global trade diversification, ‘Buy Canadian’ procurement, and critical sector growth – topics that would be featured in panel discussions later in the day.
Acknowledging the importance of wraparound supports that enable women to start and scale businesses, Minister Valdez emphasized training programs, mentorship, and federal government support for childcare as vital to women’s full participation in the economy. She also pointed to a $220 million investment to address gender-based violence, stating that “economic opportunity depends on women’s safety and ensuring women have the stability and security to pursue their goals.”
“Together, these initiatives are empowering women to redefine the entrepreneurial landscape, shatter glass ceilings and build a future economy where every woman has an equal opportunity to succeed.”
Dr. Cukier noted that the federal government spends $30 billion annually on goods and services, and that Budget 2025 outlines new “Build Canada” initiatives and priority sectors. Without intentional strategies or targets, she cautioned, women-led businesses could face barriers in accessing these opportunities.
Minister Valdez agreed that Canada’s economic evolution has the potential to be transformative for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The government’s Buy Canadian program aims to prioritize SMEs in procurement and creates new supports to help them navigate opportunities. An expanded export program is designed to help SMEs access markets beyond the US, contributing to a more diversified and resilient economy.
“We need to make sure that we have a gender-based analysis in our decision making… to make sure that from an equity standpoint, women are always included,” she said, pointing to major national infrastructure projects and investments in housing construction as examples where women in trades, construction, and related fields should be supported: “Through all of our investments, we’re making sure that we have a gender and equity lens so that when we’re developing it, part of our strategy is inclusive of women.”
The Minister concluded by encouraging women entrepreneurs and business leaders across industries to continue “showing up” and speaking out about the opportunities, barriers and challenges in growing their businesses. “You represent different industries and different groups. You are creating jobs, driving innovation and strengthening communities.
“And together your voices can help generate the recommendations and policymaking that will strengthen our representation in all areas of our economy.”
