For 2023 International Women’s Day, Lok Jack GSB features some of our amazing female employees across the organization.
Click the names below to hear what our staff think about the 2023 theme of Equity and learn more about International Women’s Day here: https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

Stacy Maharaj Siew
Graduate Admissions Advisor
What does equity mean to you?
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
Why is equity important, especially for women?

Abagale Mitchell
Programe Support Officer, Bachelor of International and Sustainable Business
What does equity mean to you?
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
Why is equity important, especially for women?

Dr. Jan Sookram
Faculty and Programme Lead, Master of Small and Medium Enterprise Management
What does equity mean to you?
Equity is being fair and impartial, but it’s so much more to me. Equity is acknowledging the output or outcome from someone without seeing man or woman but SEEING a past, a journey, the scars and/or the stripes being carried and truly appreciating the process of how that output came to be.
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
Why is equity important, especially for women?
Women have a lot of catching up to do. Not necessarily in the areas of competence, or strength or value or any of those things. I quite frankly believe that women are capable of so much more than the human race understands, but that’s just me. Women are filling board rooms and senior positions, heading successful companies. We are contributing
more to society in general; but, we still have these stigmas attached to a great extent. “ Women are too emotional, women cant manage employees well, women can’t be great leaders because we can’t detach and most un-impressive of all, a woman’s place is at home!”
Equity helps to create the space, whether forced or not, for women to leave their stamp. Equity helps women push harder to keep that space, break those stigmas and pave the way for other women to step up, take the mantle and plod on. Too often the difficulty for women comes not from men but from other women. Women do not support other women enough!. We are guarded of what we have accomplished and our struggle to get there. We need to break free of our own stigma that we have created for ourselves and forgive our past and how we have gotten where we have gotten. We need to say nicer things to women that are struggling or in general!. We need to acknowledge struggle when we see it and lend a helping hand or a caring word. This makes us stronger and not the opposite, but it also takes practice.

Melissa De Four
Senior Programme Specialist
What does equity mean to you?
Equity to me, means that we all benefit from a level playing field. That we are not prejudiced towards each other’s differences. It means that I am given equal opportunities to contribute to the overall successes of my communities and society at large.
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
Generally, I embrace equity by welcoming and treating all peoples with respect. I am also mindful that there can be innovative ways in doing things and I remain open to diverse perspectives. One of the ways I embrace equity in my household is by ensuring that my decision-making processes are inclusive.
Why is equity important, especially for women?
Equity is important because no one wants to feel or be left out. We want to be a part of something bigger and we deserve to make equal contributions in every aspect of our lives. Equity is important for women, because for decades we were confined to certain jobs, and household tasks, etc. Today, women have made invaluable contributions to the workplace, while still juggling household responsibilities. In my home there are no gender roles, we all do what is required for the effective running of our home.

Natthoya Baptiste
Consulting Project Manager
What does equity mean to you?
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
Why is equity important, especially for women?
Women have historically been treated as inferior to men. Proponents of this worldview sought to bolster their misogynistic mentality with religion, tradition and societal expectations. It was believed that women needed to ‘know their place’ and thus were relegated to the role of homemaker or, if allowed to work outside of the home, were allocated lower end, non-decision making jobs.
From a gender equity context, sound strategies and measures are required to compensate for the historical and social disadvantages that women have suffered, that prevented them from operating on a level playing field with men. Where gender inequity exists, it is generally women who are excluded or disadvantaged with respect to opportunities, decision-making, and access to economic and social resources.
By and large, women have come a long way. We have proven that there is nothing that we cannot do. Think the suffragette movement/politics, scientific breakthroughs, and technological advancements. These were all traditionally male-dominated arenas in which women have skyrocketed in the past decades.
We have demonstrated that we can set this world on fire and keep it ablaze (in a good way, of course), with our passion, resilience and vision. We can be nurturers and homemakers, but also Boss Babes: top shelf women of influence and leadership, who support each other.
Notwithstanding these formidable strides, the work towards closing the gender equity gap continues. It is a well-known fact that even in this day and age, there are instances where many women are still being paid less than their male counterparts, even though they are performing the same duties. This is evident across the board, inter alia Hollywood, academia and in the corporate world etc. Barriers to equity present themselves in many forms, not just remuneration. True equity would ensure that women have access to the same treatment, opportunities, advancement and rewards that men do. Equity is important because it aims to identify and eliminate intentional and unintentional barriers, that prevent the full participation of women and other underrepresented groups, in all spheres of life.
Our journey continues.

Nicole Morain
Senior Conference Specialist
What does equity mean to you?
An environment where justice and fairness, a space where all can contribute and access opportunities regardless of the differences amongst us
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
I tend to speak up when persons treat others unfairly, situations where equity and inclusion need to be promoted. I recocognise that each person may suffer different circumstances, so I embrace the opportunity to extend a hand to another who may need it, a loving nudge to get them going. As a mother, I include the opinion of my teenaged daughter in major decisions in the home, because it is important for her to feel a part the decisions that may impact her.
Why is equity important, especially for women?

Roopa Kallicharan
Assistant Revenue Accountant
What does equity mean to you?
Give us examples of how you embrace equity.
- Having everyone voice their opinion before decisions are made.
- Provide equal access to resources and opportunities that arise.
Why is equity important, especially for women?
Equity is important for women as it identifies and removes any obstacles that prohibit them from taking full involvement in activities / tasks.