“Show me the money.”
That was presenter Missy Knott’s call to action earlier this year during “A Conversation About The Status of Women In Our Community,” organized by Maryam Monsef’s ONWARD and honouring the late civic leader and advocate Ann Farquharson.
Those words stuck with Monsef, who launched ONWARD in 2022 following her time in politics as Peterborough-Kawartha MP and a federal cabinet minister from 2015 to 2021 (including Minister for the Status of Women). She says that, throughout her career and experience, she has seen that same theme come up in of many conversations.
“Women consistently are asking for the same things,” Monsef says. “They’re asking for physical safety first, and then economic security. When we have economic security, we have choices, we have opportunities, we have confidence.”
These conversations inspired ONWARD’s upcoming community event, “Women & Money: Economic Security in Uncertain Times,” presented by Kawartha Financial Services. The event is being held on Tuesday, September 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.
“Economic uncertainty is hard on everyone but particularly women, and when women come together — when we build community — that is a stronger buffer against some of the challenges ahead,” Monsef says. “These are system things that, unless we talk about out in the open, they’re not going to remove themselves.”
Monsef explains that, while there has been some progress, there are still significant systemic barriers in place that prevent women from achieving economic security.
“That includes unpaid care work, the gender pay gap, things like if women are unsafe or living with the most dangerous person in their life, that inevitably affects their ability to earn,” she says.
“The conversation is also timely because we’re in a moment of being in a trade war and that declaration of the trade war has added a whole new level of uncertainty and anxiety to every single household. We know that emergencies, uncertainties, and wars — including trade wars — harm women, particularly women entrepreneurs.”
Given these factors, Monsef says women need to come together and advocate for themselves.
“For example, in the lead-up to budget 2026 this fall, if we don’t ask for what we need as governments are trying to figure out what kind of targeted measures they need to put in place to buffer against the effects of the trade war, our voices will not count,” she says.
“We can’t leave our stories for others to guess about, and the more we come together and talk about these things, the more likely it is that we’re going to get our voices heard.”
Monsef promises that the September 22 event will take the “best” and “most well-received elements” of previous ONWARD events, such as presentations from local women and professionals sharing their own stories and perspectives, while also including some new elements.
“We really want to focus this event on tools and practical tips and guidance on what we can implement in our day-to-day lives that can support women’s economic security in uncertain times,” she says.
“We’ve also deliberately included some engagement opportunities and networking so that we can build stronger connections amongst those in the room.”
There will be three panels throughout the day, with the first focused on women and housing, including discussions around home ownership and affordability and women building homes.
The second panel will explore women and care, looking at the need for additional support around childcare, elder care, respite care, and even self-care.
The final panel is called “Show me the money” and will focus on barriers women entrepreneurs face in accessing capital, with discussions around grant writing, lending support, and other programs available locally.
Monsef points to research published by PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise Canada earlier this year, which found that women entrepreneurs face persistent institutional biases about their business legitimacy, particularly within funding, procurement, and regulatory systems that fail to recognize non-traditional business models.
“Even though (female-led) businesses are earning money, are profitable, and are employing people and sustaining us, when we go to the bank to get money, we are asked if this is a hobby, and so we have to consistently legitimize that this is a viable business and we’re growing,” she says.
As with other ONWARD events, there will be opportunities to foster professional and personal connections with other local women and allies in the community.
“Women do business together,” Monsef says. “We’re encouraging young people to show up and to connect with more seasoned professionals in the room, and for more seasoned professionals to have access to really bright, talented individuals that they can support, champion, mentor, and even bring on to their teams.”
In addition to building and strengthening relationships, Monsef hopes participants will walk away with a list of useful tools and supports, learn ways to fight back against systemic barriers, and connect over shared experiences.
“It’s good to know that we are not alone,” she says.
“It’s important to remember that everyone’s got a story, and that everyone is walking around with hardships and with something that is weighing them down,” Monsef adds.
“Maybe one of the things this moment calls for is a bit more kindness. That generosity of spirit is very much part of what makes Peterborough so special.”
Tickets for “Women & Money” are priced at $39.95 plus fees and can be ordered online at eventbrite.ca/e/1993932257056.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of “Women & Money.”
