Inspiring women accelerating action: An International Women's Day special feature
We're celebrating International Women’s Day (March 8) which highlights gender equity and equality by honouring incredible women who inspire, lead, and create positive change at the YMCA and in our communities.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is all about accelerating action and we're fortunate to work with inspiring, smart, creative, and dedicated women who drive action every day in their roles.
More than 80% of YMCA employees are women, many are working in child care, enabling many women to pursue their career dreams and helping to drive economic success for families throughout our communities. Recognizing that there are too many Y volunteers and employees to mention individually here, we’ve chosen two inspiring and representative women who exemplify the contributions of women working at the Y. By shining a light on them and their achievements, we want to recognize them and other women and inspire future generations of young women.
An outstanding volunteer
Meet Akosua Mathews, an accomplished lawyer and volunteer as Chair of the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Greater Toronto — the most senior volunteer role at our charity. She leads the state accountability practice as a senior associate at Kastener Ko LLP. Her practice includes civil litigation, public law, human rights claims, coroner’s inquests, and advising on policy and legislative matters.
Through her work, Akosua addresses critical social justice issues for Indigenous and racialized peoples and recently argued a constitutional case before the Supreme Court of Canada on behalf of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association. In 2018, Akosua was selected as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Canadian Lawyers for her representation of the political territorial organization Nishnawbe Aski Nation ("NAN") in the Indigenous child welfare proceedings before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
She is a shining example of someone who generously gives of her time in volunteer roles, sharing her wisdom, living with integrity, and acting with determination to break barriers
A dedicated advocate for child care educators
Lisa Paulo-Alberto, a YMCA Child Care employee of 24 years, excelled in several progressive roles throughout her career at the Y. Today, she continues to achieve success as she is the General Manager for recruitment and supply staff for child care and supports new hires as they start their child care careers.
Lisa is a mentor for the YMCA Inspire Black Leaders Program, a leadership development program for employees, and supports staff and students with apprenticeships and job placements. She is now working on a new program where she will be helping newcomers with international training and experience via the Bridge to Work program in Child Care, in partnership with our Employment Services. Lisa is dedicated to supporting, growing, and inspiring educators to reach their full potential while continuously advocating for more opportunities to support educators, such as staff benefits, bursaries, and discounts.
We're pleased to shine a light on these two examples of exceptional women at the Y — many who are trailblazers, changemakers, and mentors — working towards a brighter future for all. Their stories remind us of the power of leadership, perseverance, and collaboration. Join us in celebrating their achievements and reflecting on how we can all contribute to more caring, inclusive, equitable spaces. Let’s create a future where every woman can shine.
YMCA programs for girls and women
Girls and women find support and pathways to leadership and success in YMCA programs like:
GameChangers, a free soccer and leadership program for girls, in association with FC Barcelona and Scotiabank.
LaunchPad for Women Entrepreneurs, a program for aspiring and ideation-stage women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds and industries in partnership with DMZ.
