Rosalind Lockyer

Rosalind Lockyer has dedicated most of her working lifetime towards supporting gender equality and building sustainable livelihoods for thousands of women who need it most. Important to her work as founder of PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise and co-founder of the national group, the Women’s Economic Council, (WEC) has been supporting women and families who are disadvantaged by the intersection of poverty, race, sexism, ageism and disability. She has assisted individuals and management of enterprises and organizations, whether non-profit, private business, social enterprises or professional sector organizations with strategic planning, project and organization management, fund and policy development, evaluation, human resources, leadership, social enterprise and business development and public relations. Her shining achievement as founding Executive Director of PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, has been inspiring and growing a unique, sustainable model of women-centred community economic development based on the grassroots development of ‘North America’s strongest peer lending network supporting over 100+ Circles’ across Northern and Eastern Ontario. Recognized for her notable efforts in building PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise, working with diverse populations, especially those most challenged, such as indigenous people, people with disabilities, seniors, and youth at risk with particular emphasis on women, Rosalind has been called, “one of the most remarkable social entrepreneurs in the world” by the Office of Social Enterprise, MEDEI, Ontario government, for more info see, page 27, IMPACT: https://www.ontario.ca/document/impact-social-enterprise-strategy-ontario.
Rosalind was recently appointed to the Gender Equality Network of Canada, founded in 2017, nominated by PARO and Women in Politics-Northwestern Ontario and supported by Status of Women Canada and the Canadian Women’s Foundation, this network has a three-year mandate to advance gender equality in Canada.