YWCA Hamilton, in partnership with McMaster University, is proud to host the fourth-annual Leadership Summit for Women on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The Summit, taking place on campus, is designed to bridge the gender gap between men’s and women’s leadership in the greater Hamilton area.

“The Summit assists in building leadership capacity amongst women and tapping into resources needed to have women’s voices heard,” said Charlotte Yates, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and a YWCA Hamilton board member.

“By helping women secure leadership positions, we help them to build better futures for themselves, their families and our communities.”

Last year, the Summit attracted more than 400 participants and featured Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne as the keynote speaker. This year, the keynote speaker is Andrea Gunraj, author of The Sudden Disappearance of Seetha and communications specialist with METRAC.

The event will also offer a variety of workshops for skill development, mentorship and personal and professional development — all facilitated by local and national community leaders engaged in the topic of female leadership.

Examples of workshops include: Breakthrough Leadership with Creative Leadership Competencies; “Dudes and Feminism” using a theatrical approach; and The Importance of Diversity in Power.

“Women and men have different life experiences, are socialized differently and, as a result, women offer different and unique views to challenges facing corporations and communities,” said Denise Doyle, CEO, YWCA Hamilton.

“Most compelling, we know that when women leaders are made visible and recognized, more young women feel free to come forward and make their contributions to society.”

The Leadership Summit for Women will take place at McMaster on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Burke Science Building. For more details on workshops and presenters visit www.ywcahamilton.org.