Last updated on March 7, 2025.
On Saturday, March 8, 2025, the world celebrates International Women’s Day.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.” At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158 to achieve full gender parity according to the World Economic Forum. This year’s theme challenges us to take bolder action to close the gender gap. For us at Vancity, it means stepping up, to not only acknowledge equity, but also actively actioning the changes needed to create an inclusive world.
Here are a few examples of how Vancity has stood up for women since our founding in 1946.
Taking strides toward financial equality.
In 1946, Vancity gave its first loan of $100 to a woman. Since then, Vancity has been committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive environment, and providing financial services to people from all walks of life. But across all of North America it’s been quite a different story—and one that hasn’t yet reached an ending.
Let’s set the scene:
It’s 1960. The Flintstones just debuted, and Beatlemania has arrived in the United States, but a US or Canadian bank can still refuse a credit card to an unmarried woman. Even if a woman is married, she needs a male co-signer in order to start building her own credit.
Meanwhile, Vancity was ahead of the game. In 1961, we became the first financial institution to provide a mortgage to a woman without a male co-signer. The rest of Canada didn’t catch up for 3 years.
It’s milestones like these that have put Vancity on the map as a financial institution that embraces equity. Since our founding, we’ve considered it our responsibility to create opportunities for people to have easy access to their finances.
Setting the tone for fundamental women’s rights.
At Vancity, we’re not waiting for change to happen, we’re making it ourselves. As part of the federal 50-30 Challenge, we’re committed to accelerating diversity and improving equity at our Board and senior management levels. The goal of the 50-30 Challenge is to achieve gender parity (50 per cent) and at least 30 per cent representation of under-represented groups. But we’ve set ourselves an even higher target: by the end of 2025, our Board and senior management team will reflect the diversity of our community.
In 2023, 66 per cent of our Board of Directors, 49 per cent of our executive leadership team, and 53 per cent of all managers are women. We understand that having women in leadership roles and paying fairly are the best ways to achieve equity in the workplace.
And we’re working hard to go further because we believe equity should be the norm, not the exception. It’s part of our commitment to enabling and encouraging women, embracing gender equity, and supporting the full economic participation of women.
But equity in the workplace is about more than leadership representation—it’s also about meaningful support for women at every stage of their careers. That’s why Vancity has been recognized as one of BC’s top family-friendly employers, offering benefits that help women balance work and life. From flexible work arrangements to comprehensive parental leave policies, we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment
Supporting women in business.
Compared to men, women business owners face greater barriers to accessing financing and are more likely to be rejected or receive less funding.
When Vancity introduced the Unity Women Entrepreneur’s Program, we took “women in business” to the next level. This is a program specifically created to provide women and anyone who identifies as a woman or non-binary individual with more access to funds, networking opportunities, and specialized advice from experienced mentors.
When it comes to supporting women in taking ownership of their careers and gaining financial independence, Vancity has your back—on International Women’s Day and every day.
How you can support women on International Women’s Day.
Wondering how to support the important women in your life? Start by thanking them for their inspiration and learning about the importance of International Women’s Day. A powerful way to show support is by supporting women-owned businesses, like these Vancity members:
Most importantly, be an ally and advocate for women’s rights. Take every opportunity to uplift and support women, not just on International Women’s Day, but every day, as we work toward a more equitable future.
