Our Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE)
Our Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity and Equity (CODE)
Business prosperity requires a healthy community at large.
Systemic racism, inequity and exclusion undermine these shared and interdependent aspirations, and therefore must be exposed and unrooted wherever they exist.
The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce commits to the long-term and continuous work of creating an equitable, inclusive society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
Community-Driven, Community-Led
As a member association, we commit to working on our internal and external diversity, equity and inclusion efforts together with our community. Local members and community leaders from diverse backgrounds and experiences will lead our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts through advisory boards, community-wide consultations and public engagement events.
Two advisory councils lead this work:
A council of community leaders and organizations provides strategic guidance on our work to advance reconciliation in business. This includes shaping our programming, advising on policy direction, and maintaining the Truth and Reconciliation Roadmap (TRR) — a free, regularly updated business resource.
A group of community leaders, DEI practitioners, and individuals with lived experience helps guide the design and delivery of CODE programming.
In addition to these councils, we regularly engage equity-deserving groups through focus groups and consultations to ensure our work remains grounded and relevant.
Our Commitments
We have set measurable targets to hold ourselves accountable:
- Gender parity (50%) on our Board and senior management
- Minimum 30% representation from equity-deserving groups
- 50% of all speakers/presenters/facilitators represent our priority demographics
- 30% of vendors engaged by The Chamber come from equity-deserving groups
Our People: Through our efforts, we work to create a culture that fosters belonging, respect, and opportunity for advancement for every employee. We aim to attract, hire, and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds and ensure inclusive workplaces that encourage diversity of thought, experience, and ideas.
Our Members: As a member organization, we are committed to delivering programming and services that reflect the diversity of our membership. We will continue strengthening our inclusion efforts to attract and retain diverse representation. We also recognize our responsibility to lead by example in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to demonstrate the value this brings to our organization and community.
Our Community: We will work collaboratively with community organizations and community leaders to guide our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts to ensure that they are relevant, appropriate, and impactful.
Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pledges
The 50 – 30 Challenge: Your Diversity Advantage
The 50 – 30 Challenge is an initiative between the Government of Canada, business, and diversity organizations. The goal of the program is to challenge Canadian organizations to increase the representation and inclusion of diverse groups within their workplace, while highlighting the benefits of giving all Canadians a seat at the table.
The 50 – 30 Challenge asks that organizations aspire to two (2) goals:
- Gender parity (“50%”) on Canadian board(s) and senior management; and
- Significant representation (“30%”) on Canadian board(s) and senior management of other under-represented groups: racialized persons including Black Canadians, persons living with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities), Canadians who identify as LGBTQ2, and First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as founding peoples of Canada are under-represented in positions of economic influence and leadership.
Winnipeg Indigenous Accord
The Truth & Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released 94 Calls to Action (CTA) in 2015. The CTA’s is an invitation for all Canadians to take action in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation. The Winnipeg Chamber has responded by becoming a signatory to the inaugural 2016 Winnipeg Indigenous Accord.
Please note that this page will be reviewed and updated periodically as we continuously work towards advancing inclusion, equity and reconciliation. Should you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]
The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce is located on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands and waters of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininiwak, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.
