Since starting to write for the Globe and Mail‘s Globe Women’s Collective newsletter a few months ago, I’ve been fortunate enough to interview some fascinating women who are knowledgeable and passionate about their areas of expertise.
It’s given me a welcome opportunity to branch out beyond my specialty—health writing—and learn new things. Which is one reason I love my job. And it’s given me a chance to spotlight subjects that are important to women, yet don’t seem to receive the attention they deserve.
I wasn’t all that familiar with the world of non-profits before I was recently assigned a story on why some women who lead such organizations are advocating to change the title of that role from Executive Director (ED)—the name that’s traditionally used in charities and non-profits—to Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
While I was aware of the pay gap that exists between men and women in for-profit businesses, I’d never given much thought to whether the situation might be even worse in the charity arena.
I learned a great deal more about that issue while researching a story on the ED vs CEO debate.
And I found the two women I interviewed for the piece so fascinating and inspiring that I wish I could write a detailed profile of each of them. Fingers crossed: maybe I’ll be lucky enough to get a chance to get paid to do that in the future.
In the meantime, you can read my recent assignment here: ‘ED vs CEO: How an Outdated Title May Be Widening the Pay Gap for Women in Non-Profits’.
A big thank-you to the interviewees who so kindly shared their time and expertise:
- Wendi Campbell, CEO of The Food Bank of Waterloo Region, Waterloo, Ontario.
- Doina Oncel, founder and CEO of the non-profit organization hEr VOLUTION, which gives women and girls in underserved communities a chance to learn about the opportunities for well-paying work in STEM professions.
Photo by Alexander Suhorucov Courtesy of Pexels