WOMEN IN ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE SUPPORTED THROUGH K2I ACADEMY Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. SDG 5: Gender Equality Gender bias is undermining our social fabric and devalues all of us. It is not just a human rights issue; it is a tremendous waste of the world’s human potential. By denying women equal rights, we deny half the population a chance to live life at its fullest. Goal 5 is about ensuring political, economic and social equality for women, and eradicating prejudice in all forms.
York University science and engineering students in the lab.
12 12
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 | York University
Dean Jane Goodyer is eager to give more women the opportunity to succeed in STEM. The k2i academy works with various school boards in Ontario to connect directly to classrooms, offering innovative work-integrated learning programs to female students and other underrepresented groups. The Bringing STEM to Life: WorkIntegrated Learning program at k2i gives students the opportunity to solve real-world problems through meaningful paid work experiences, while also earning a high-school credit. Learn more about Lassonde’s efforts to support gender equality through STEM.
EMPOWERING AFGHAN REFUGEE WOMEN As part of a wider dialogue series, the Afghan Response Working Group from York University’s School of Health Policy and Management shone a spotlight on women’s empowerment, health and well-being in 2022. The series sought to create a better understanding of the pathways to resilience and capacity building through the shared perspectives of Afghan community members, scholars and service providers. This women’s rights-focused event featured four speakers, including York alumna Farkhunda Muhtaj, captain of the Afghanistan Women’s National Soccer Team, who was instrumental in evacuating the team to Portugal after the Taliban takeover. Freshta Pardis, a social worker who supported an Afghan Women’s Organization as a mental health worker for newcomer refugees, was also a featured speaker. Learn more about these remarkable women and how their experiences have supported empowerment.