Raise Her Up: Charlene Theodore

For International Women's Day, we're partnering with DirectHer Network to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness against bias and, and take action for equality. 

To celebrate, we have partnered with ten remarkable women who are breaking the barriers of change and empowering more female participation in the boardroom. 

Charlene Theodore

Lawyer, President, Ontario Bar Association.

As the first Black president, and only the 10th woman to lead the Ontario Bar Association, Charlene Theodore is leading her profession in reinventing a traditional workplace culture into one that is more inclusive for women and people of colour.

Legal advocacy has been the foundation of every chapter of society’s progress – from equal education and equal voting rights to marriage equality and free speech – and Ms. Theodore is working with the OBA to focus on the next chapter in their story of progress.

I Choose to Challenge:

All workplace leaders to get deeply engaged in their organizations’ equality and diversity initiatives. Ask yourself this: If you had to defend your organization’s diversity and inclusion plan, could you do it knowledgeably, honestly and proudly? If not, it is time for you to lead the work on developing a truly meaningful equality, diversity and inclusion strategy that prioritizes concrete results over good intentions.

For the Future I Hope:

When I see the headlines about racial inequality and unfairness in the justice sector, it’s like I have accidentally picked up a paper from ten years ago. I want the headlines to look markedly different ten years from now, and so I am especially proud to be working with the Ontario Bar Association on our Not Another Decade initiative. We have committed to working with the justice sector to meet a new target or key performance indicator every year for the next decade to meaningfully move the dial on equality, diversity and inclusion.

Photography by Desired Media.

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