Brampton North MP announces federal investment of $2 billion for women-led businesses until 2025

BY SELINA McCALLUM

The liberal government is advancing women’s economic empowerment with the first ever Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, a $2-billion investment that seeks to double the number of women-owned businesses by 2025.

Ms. Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton North, is proud to support this initiative. Many studies have shown that a lot of male-led businesses will receive funding over women-led businesses.

“We are trying to economically impact women,” said MP Sahota.

MP Sahota announced an investment of up to $100,000 in BMP Metals Inc., a local business led by women that produces precision components for diversified industrial sectors with a focus on automated forming, 3D printing, welded and electrical assemblies.

BMP Metals Inc. has been a certified company since 1996, specializing in machined and fabricated sheet metal manufacturing. With two manufacturing plants and combined production space, BMP can produce, prototype and high volume part runs in a wide range of part sizes.

“The company had worked very hard to secure that money and the work that they’re doing is quite incredible. From national security work in the products that they make down to exporting to 25 different countries around the world,” said MP Sahota.

The project receiving funding will implement a growth strategy to scale up the business which will increase industry 4.0 capability and create 25 jobs.

“The women entrepreneurs and business leaders of Brampton make incredible contributions to our economy and community every day,” said MP Sahota. “I’m proud to be a part of a Liberal government that takes women’s economic empowerment seriously. From tackling pay equity to modernizing parental leave, this government is taking action on gender equality because when women succeed, we all succeed.”

The Women Entrepreneur Strategy is not the only initiative that the federal government has pushed. Last fall, the government introduced and passed proactive pay equity legislation. In federally related workplaces, employers will now be required to examine their pay systems to ensure that women and men are being fairly compensated for their work.

“The more equality we have in the workforce, the better off we are as a country,” said Brampton North MP. “That’s mostly the reason behind why we are making these investments. Sometimes, people will say why are you helping women more than men and that’s not necessarily the end result we want. We don’t want to reverse discrimination, we are just trying to balance it out.”

The Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), is an analytical process used to make sure government policies, programs and initiatives take into consideration how diverse groups of women, men, and non-binary people may experience them.

Its previous iteration has been the official policy in the federal government since 1997. A report by the Auditor General looking at government operations between April 2009 and March 2015 found that GBA analysis wasn’t being adequately implemented.

Now, the federal government’s focus is ensuring all people belonging to different demographics are getting the tools they need.

“Some other priority applicant groups that we are looking at in this fund are diverse women entrepreneurs, so women with disabilities, indigenous women, women in rural or remote regions, recent immigrants, and visible minorities,” said MP Sahota.

The Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot which was launched this year is also another initiative seeking to provide immigrant women with the support and services they need in order to fully integrate and contribute to the Canadian economy and their communities.

The program recognizes that newcomers to Canada, particularly women, face many hurdles to accessing employment. The Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot is investing $7 million in programs to provide them with support, advice, and training. The end goal is to help them access the labor market.

The Brampton North MP describes what true feminism is to her.

“There is a lot of talk out there about feminism. I think sometimes we misplace our emotions and feelings about what it is to be a feminist and what it isn’t to be a feminist. To me, I think, that true feminism, true change in society, is going to come from meaningful programs that have a national vision, that have a future,” said MP Sahota.