Canada: Canada

Canada Dept: A similar critique can be made about government appointments to Canada's agencies, boards, and commissions. Each year, governments across Canada appoint thousands of people to serve on the boards of agencies such as Crown corporations, health authorities and post-secondary institutions. These boards make important decisions that affect all Canadians. It is therefore crucial that they represent the perspectives of the diverse citizens that they serve. Yet, an analysis of Canada's board appointments indicates a surprising lack of diversity, according to Vancouver Sun. Similarly, there are benefits to political leaders who demonstrate a commitment to diversity. Note that Mitt Romney's loss in the U.S. presidential election was attributed in part to his inability to garner support from women and non-white communities and last month, Kathleen Wynne became Ontario's premier after winning that province's Liberal leadership race. There are now six women premiers in Canada. While it is a great sign of our progress on the path to gender parity in Canadian politics, there continues to be a general lack of diversity in that arena. Today, only 25 per cent of our provincially and federally elected officials are women, and less than seven per cent are from ethnic minorities. There are many benefits to recruiting diverse board members. Board diversity has been shown to improve decision-making, help legitimize the organization's mandate, and build social cohesion. In the corporate world, businesses benefit from the inclusion of varied perspectives and a commitment to social responsibility. Returns on equity are a third higher in companies with more females in upper-level management. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.