Leadership, gender parity priorities for new Status of Women council CEO
Paula Sheppard officially taking over the role from longtime frontwoman Linda Ross
Newfoundland and Labrador's status of women advisory council has a new leader, after president and CEO Paula Sheppard officially took over the role from longtime frontwoman Linda Ross.
Sheppard started her three-year appointment Wednesday, and her first day on the job involved a hard look at what she can achieve in that time, she told Here and Now's Debbie Cooper.
"I've always believed in taking a collaborative approach and a listening approach." she said. "So my first six months, I think, will be ... really digging into the issues the advisory council's been working on, what are some of the main things we want to work on, and really move the agenda forward as best we can."
Sheppard's appointment was decided by the Independent Appointments Commission, and announced by the provincial government in November.
The role means having a close relationship to N.L.'s recently appointed Minister Responsible for the Status of Women Carol Anne Haley — a crucial role for the advancement of gender parity, Sheppard said.
"Having a standalone minister is key to moving some of these issues forward," she said.
"There hasn't been a lot of progress in the last 150 years," she said. "This is exactly what we need, these dedicated resources."
The advisory council, created in 1980, guides the government on issues affecting women.
Ross, the former CEO, frequently commented on political issues in the media, most recently on harassment and bullying in the workplace.
Sheppard said her own perspective is coloured by a rural upbringing in the tiny outport of Come-by-Chance and 14 years of working with the N.L. Organization of Women Entrepreneurs, which helps women found and grow businesses.
This new job "mirrors that role," Sheppard said, because during her time with the NLOWE she worked to educate people about how the hurdles facing women across the province are similar regardless of location or economic background.
"A lot of the basic issues are the same, and a lot of the barriers are the same."
Sheppard said she wants to focus on advancing women in leadership roles.
With files from Debbie Cooper