Network to help women meet challenges

Page 10

Finding solutions to the challenges faced by Aboriginal business women is the goal of the newly formed Aboriginal Women's Advisory Network.

The network will be made up of Aboriginal women from fields such as education, law, business, the arts, finance, community development and government. Representatives of the Circle of Aboriginal Business Leaders and senior female managers and executives from the bank will also be members.

The network is a national forum for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women to work together to develop grass-roots solutions to the social, cultural and economic challenges faced by Aboriginal business women in Canada.

"Network participants must share a strong belief in the importance and significance of support systems," said Bonnie Shettler, vice-president, Aboriginal Affairs for the Bank of Montreal, the network's sponsor.

"They must also recognize that education, employment and economic development are vital if Aboriginal women are to achieve economic self-sufficiency."

Women play a strong role in the development of independent businesses in Aboriginal communities, said Ron Jamieson, vice-president of Aboriginal Banking for the Bank of Montreal. Women are often sole providers, and are frequently the catalyst for the creation of a small business that will support the entire family.

For more information, write Shettler at the Bank of Montreal, 15th Floor, 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M4W 3N5.