International Women’s Month may be coming to an end, but the work to achieve gender equality and encourage women’s empowerment in the workplace, in business and in our communities, is ongoing.

In June 2021, ATB joined the UN Global Compact with a mission to support the greater good and make the world more sustainable for all. Through the Target Gender Equality Accelerator (part of the UN Global Compact program), ATB is committed to advancing gender equality and empowering women and girls in Alberta and beyond.

What is the UN Global Compact?

UN Global Compact is an international network of 150,000+ companies in 165 countries that have committed to the 10 principles and 17 social development goals (SDGs) that are laid out by the UN. Gender equality is just one of the SDGs ATB has chosen to prioritize, and it’s an integral one.

“Women make up 50 percent of the population, and historically, workplaces haven’t always been set up to meet the needs of women,” says Janice McCallum, ATB Process Governance Director and Chair of Ellevate. “I want to change the narrative to show that all kinds of women can show up and be successful, without having to change who they are.”

Ellevate is ATB’s internal network that supports the advancement of women in the workplace. By participating in the program, ATB has gleaned concrete insights into how to create an action plan. Janice and fellow Ellevate team members will use their learnings to establish meaningful change that will be felt across all of ATB.

What does this mean for ATB?

For ATB employees, the program means greater access to equitable benefits and support to ensure their success at work. Through the employment of learnings from the Target Gender Equality Accelerator program, ATB can better ensure that employees have equal opportunities for promotions, identify gaps in hiring and determine where we can do more to advance equality.

“When our workforce reflects the communities we serve, we have greater access to a rich diversity of skills, expertise and perspectives. This drives enhanced problem-solving and innovation, which makes our work more efficient, profitable and positively impacts us all at ATB,” says Danika Bellamy-Sankar, ATB Senior Manager of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.

As part of the Target Gender Equality Accelerator, Ellevate and ATB are committed to a journey of understanding and implementing the various policies, practices and interventions needed to achieve equality for women.

All about the Greater Good

ATB’s Greater Good strategy is focused on uplifting Albertans through increased access to education, information and mental health support. ATB is applying a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens to the strategy, which includes a focus on removing internal and external barriers for women.

“By supporting organizations in our communities who work on the Greater Good elements while addressing the unique needs of women, we begin to address the societal impacts of gender bias and discrimination, a reduction of which will not only boost our businesses but also our communities,” says Bellamy-Sankar.

There’s still room to grow and lots of progress to be made when it comes to gender equality.

Thanks to the Target Gender Equality Accelerator at UN Global Compact, ATB is taking tangible steps towards making our workplaces and our communities more inclusive and equal places.

Find out more about the other area of focus in ATB’s Greater Good strategy.