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Almost 100 years ago, women were not encouraged to speak about politics and important issues facing society. In the early 1900's across North America, women were fighting for the right to vote. The suffrage movement was met with much opposition and many women weren't permitted by their husbands and fathers to attend a political rally or meeting.
Pink Teas were developed as a way for women to meet and strategize. The invitations were for women only, and the room decorated with dollies and ribbons, then if opponents appeared, the women simply changed the subject.
Prior to 1929, women were not considered "persons" under the law. Five remarkable women set out to petition the court to have the law changed, while sipping tea. Undaunted by a preliminary defeat by the Supreme Court of Canada, the women petitioned Prime Minister Mackenzie King and the Privy Council of Great Britain. The Privy Council agreed that women were indeed persons - Lord Sankey took things one step further, saying, “The exclusion of women from all public offices is a relic of days more barbarous than ours.” LEARN MORE.
- Louise McKinney (1868-1931), activist and politician
Mentorship from women for women; for new residents; women being kinder to one another and celebrate each other's victories; non-judgemental & affordable learning opportunities; more opportunities for women in STEM.
Women still face unsafe workplaces and sexual harassment, gender-based violence; pay disparity; we want transparent wages; discriminatory practices by lenders and leasing agents; and aren't always taken seriously in business.
Childcare is costly, often working just to cover costs of care; childcare options out of the "9am -5pm" paradigm can be very costly; different standards for men and women, women still expected to absorb the bulk of caregiving.
Commercial leases are expensive in Sherwood Park; public transportation for employees to and from Edmonton is difficult; other local groups don't feel inclusive.
Negotiating leases asking for a male co-signer; access to capital; not being taken seriously; higher interest rates being charged to women; funding options to grow their business.
Double standards (assertive men / bitchy women); not taken seriously, businesses seen as 'wife's hobby'; own personal confidence (imposter syndrome); element of shame when we put ourselves first.
Great question! One that was asked of our President when we launched this Association, inspiring us to learn more. Every woman has different lived experiences. As a new non-profit, we needed to understand what issues our members (and future members) were facing, and how they felt that we can help resolve them.
We invited everyone to our first Pink Tea party where we hosted 10 different roundtable discussions, while sipping our tea and enjoying delicious dainties. These are the questions we asked.
*You can find a snapshot of answers below.
The answers to these questions enabled us to build our Values, Mission and Vision which continue to serve as our north star while planning events and building resources.
In 2024, the existing Board of Directors decided to launch the Pink Tea as an annual signature event. Every spring, we will again host 60 women, in roundtable discussions. We will have important conversations, amid beautiful decor and delicious food.
Hope to see you there.
Create a newsletter; feature new members in newsletter and social media; create a member directory with information on their business; give members opportunity to advertise in newsletter; create a Facebook group for members to easily connect with one another; offer member only perks and discounts; guest blogs and member content on website.
Create fun & varied events where we can learn and grow and build relationships with other women in business; offer preferred pricing for members vs. non-members; offer advance notice of events to members; make sure to have nametags; host events at member locations; offer opportunities for businesses to introduce themselves.
Create varied opportunities to network and build relationships; help build confidence and skills to maneuver in networking events; keep it casual and fun; allow flexible commitment; encourage mentorship and collaboration.
Be a portal to educational opportunities, knowledge and out of the box thinking; host small business basics workshops; marketing tools for members to receive additional exposure; assistance in challenging status quo.
Be inclusive and create a safe, inviting space where everyone feels welcome; give back to the community in meaningful ways; encourage younger women to get involved; make it accessible to varied financial demographics.
- Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta, founder of Lean In
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