SaskPower has signed onto the Saskatchewan Women Entrepreneurship Charter. It’s an initiative led by Women Entrepreneurs Saskatchewan or, WESK. SaskPower is committing to supporting women-owned businesses in Saskatchewan.

SaskPower President and CEO Mike Marsh says, “SaskPower firmly believes in advancing women entrepreneurs in Saskatchewan and will continue to actively look for opportunities to do so, which is why we have signed onto the Charter.”

In 2019, the province announced the creation of the WESK-led Saskatchewan Advisory Committee. It’s an influential group of respected business leaders responsible for advising on strategies, policies, and activities to level the playing field for Saskatchewan women entrepreneurs.

In 2020, the Committee released their final report of recommendations entitled Enabling Scale in Saskatchewan. The report includes ten recommendations, including the launch of a charter to build a pool of champions in support of women entrepreneurs.

The Charter affirms a commitment to advance women entrepreneurship and build connections through four defining principles: 1) Procure with her; 2) Amplify her voice; 3) Share skills with her; and 4) Shatter a ceiling. Through the signing of the charter, Champions are not only committing to doing business with local women-owned companies, but they are also actively seeking and creating opportunities to support women entrepreneurs in practical and quantifiable ways.

WESK says women entrepreneurs are major contributors to economic growth and job creation. In 2019, women entrepreneurs contributed $23.1 billion to the Saskatchewan economy and created 191,836 jobs. However, research indicates women entrepreneurs encounter unique barriers that hinder full participation in growing the wealth of our province.