“People often ask me why we choose to focus specifically on women. My answer is simple – we focus on women and girls because evidence accrued over decades of international development work has proven that the status and role of women is the best clue to a nation’s growth potential, and is a key factor in determining a society’s standard of living.” – UNWNCC President Almas Jiwani, HSBC Canada, November 2012
Close Up on Almas Jiwani
Almas Jiwani, President of UN Women Canada National Committee and CEO of Frontier Canada Inc, is a fiercely vocal champion for gender equality. She is internationally renowned for her efforts to encourage women’s social,economic, and political empowerment. She spearheads initiatives where corporate growth intersects with humanitarian development.
A model of perseverance and determination, Ms. Jiwani’s efforts to strengthen women’s economic capacity as entrepreneurs and producers have earned her accolades. She plays a crucial role in building networks among charitable institutions and socially responsible businesses.
Ms. Jiwani is a powerful and influential speaker and she continues to travel across the globe to deliver keynote addresses, speeches, and presentations on improving the status of women. She addressed over 400 parliamentarians from 42 countries on the benefits of economically empowering women and the roles and responsibilities of parliamentarians at the International Assembly in the Dominican Republic and Quebec City.
More recently, she addressed the Pan Africa Media Conference, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, World Bank,Women in Leadership Forum in Abu Dhabi, African Development Bank conference, and the World Forum alongside Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu and holistic health/New Age guru Deepak Chopra.
Almas Jiwani is the CEO of Frontier Canada, a communications and marketing company based in Toronto, Ontario. She has gained international recognition and commendations from governments and the media. She has been honored with numerous awards globally for her work on gender equity and women’s empowerment.