The idea is to inspire young women and give them the confidence to pursue leadership positions in male-dominated careers.
The Lilith 400 Young Leaders Program 2015 wrapped up at the Quest University campus Sunday.
Thirty-one young women in Grades 10-12 from Canada and the U.S. spent six days working on leadership and personal development skills while being mentored by successful women in a variety of fields.
“Women still occupy only a small fraction of the top leadership positions in government and the corporate world, and we need to make sure that we are investing our time and energy to developing the future generations of women for leadership,” said the program’s founder, Ronnalee McMahon.
She said only 16 per cent of Fortune 500 board members are women. That’s something she wants to see change through the mentorship of young aspiring women.
The women speaking to the girls at Quest this week included Green Party leader Elizabeth May, Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, Squamish Mayor Patricia Heintzman, Councillor Karen Elliott and Carla Robinson, the first woman in senior management at ATB Financial.
Student Rachel Zitek of Nanaimo said meeting all the inspirational women was the best part of the week.
“I can’t explain the feeling, because I have never really had a chance to meet so many great role models,” she said, adding she also enjoyed the debrief session she had with an instructor who helped her drill down to discover what she likes and what she wants to do for her career.
She decided she would like to be a forensic scientist.
“I am a little bit of a thrill seeker so I feel like that kind of career would help me achieve that thrill.”
The course cost $2,000, but some girls who couldn’t afford it, including Zitek, were subsidized, she said.
Each girl was encouraged to identify her learning and leadership style and develop a three to five-year personal strategic plan, McMahon said.
Personal well-being was encouraged; the girls participated in exercise activities such as yoga or hiking in the mornings.
After the program, each girl was paired with a mentor for support in goal-setting.
McMahon founded Lilith Professional in 2009 to stem the tide of attrition in the legal profession, she said.
“Mass numbers of female lawyers were exiting the profession,” she said.
“I was always curious why the trek to partnership looked so easy for some women with children in tow and a husband and then why some jumped track, they didn’t pursue partnership.”
She said she came to understand that women lacked female career role models and mentors, so she started offering the Lilith mentorship programs, first to adults, then also to teen girls through the six-day course.
“There is a long way to go and it starts now,” she said.
