The Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance (CISWP) at Conestoga College’s School of Business has signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the Women in Occupational Health and Safety Society (WOHSS).
An agreement between Conestoga's Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance and the Women in Occupational Health and Safety Society will see the two organizations build on their mutual values of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workforce.
Together, WOHSS and CISWP will advance their work and build on their mutual key values of equity, diversity and inclusion in the workforce. The agreement, signed by Dr. Amin Yazdani, executive director, CISWP, and Lana Schultze, Strategic Partnerships director at WOHSS, will see the two organizations collaborating on events as well as knowledge creation and dissemination.
“We are very pleased to form this partnership,” said Dr. Yazdani. “We look forward to working with WOHSS through this partnership agreement to increase the profile of the health and safety profession and the professional development opportunities for women in occupational health and safety and beyond.”
Incorporated in 2017, WOHSS is a non-profit grass-roots organization dedicated to supporting women working in occupational health and safety (OHS). WOHSS aims to bring more women into the profession and support their development -- whether they stay in their current position, start their own business or advance their career.
According to WOHSS, its initiatives -- including its mentorship program -- support emerging female leaders in the male-dominated health and safety sector and are making great strides to promote the inclusion of women. WOHSS said its members will benefit from CISWP’s research in OHS and in equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“CISWP values the opportunity to work closely with this large group of OHS professionals to expand their reach and make a difference in workplaces across Canada,” added Dr. Yazdani. “As women grow within the occupational health and safety profession, there is also an opportunity to increase the awareness of women’s health and safety in the workplace. This could include addressing ill-fitting PPE, violence and harassment, and/or many other issues that disproportionately affect women in the workplace. It will be valuable for CISWP to work with WOHSS and their members to continue to develop evidence-informed tools and support policy and practice related to women and other underrepresented groups across many occupations.”
The Canadian Institute for Safety, Wellness & Performance, a Conestoga research institute, adopts a transdisciplinary and collaborative approach to build capacity for productive and sustainable work. Its mission is to improve the safety, wellness and performance of the Canadian workforce by generating knowledge, transferring research to practice, and strengthening workforce development - all in collaboration with stakeholders.
For more information, contact Dr. Amin Yazdani.