International Women's Day shines a light on achievement but also more that needs to be done

Cathy Aquino is a technical support specialist with TP Communications. She started in the first week of January 2024.

"I am the only woman in the tech department here in TP and I don't feel any different," she said. "I like the culture here, they support each other, you feel respected, they celebrate each other's successes."

Aquino works in the Calgary southeast office and will also travel to clients businesses to deal with their needs.

"Most of my job here entails customer service," she said. “I talk to a customers over the phone or send them an email to help them troubleshoot technical problems."

Josh Haley is the VP of sales and marketing for the family-owned company that's been in business for 28 years.

"Our goal is to enable companies around the city and around the province, and conveniently, in the last couple of years around the country, to deal with their technology and implement it properly and feel like they're educated with it," he said. "Our largest line of business right now is physical security and building management."

Haley and his brother Cam work with an agency called Momentum in Calgary that helps people on low-income and new Canadians learn new skills that can lead to careers.

"I actually remember the day Cam called me and said Momentum has this woman in business program, I think that we should hire out of it and get somebody to help on our support desk," said Haley. "We hired Cathy and she has flourished as a technician, she's got really good customer rapport so we really liked that, she's just hungry, (and) willing to learn, which is awesome."

CALGARY NEWCOMER

Aquino moved to Calgary two years ago from the Philippines with her two daughters. She's the sole breadwinner in the family and quickly got a job in retail.  Aquimo worked seven days a week to provide but her quality of life was suffering. She turned to the internet to find other opportunities for employment and found Momentum was hosting a free, five month program for women wanting to enter the IT sector.

"It's five days a week, eight hours a day and we need to pass certifications, actually every week," she said. "It was really stressful but I feel so fulfilled, that I'm capable to do such stuff."

Aquino is proud of what she's accomplished in a relatively short period of time.

"For International Women's Day, actually driving here, I realized that, in this two years, that I stayed in Canada, I've accomplished a lot," she said. "Moving from Philippines, going to a foreign country without family and friends, adjusting to the culture is such a big achievement and then shifting from retail industry to tech is another big step for me."

Now she wants to be a role model for other new Canadians.

"I want to inspire other people," Aquino said. "I keep on talking to other people that want to try something new, learn something new, it's never too late, I always motivate them that, if I can do it, you can do it as well."

SPORT MATTERS

Suzanna Tangen heads a charity called Ultimate Para Sports Association that offers programs and equipment for people with intellectual and physical disabilities get involved in sports.

"I think sport matters so much more than what you just see first glance," she said. "And especially for people with disabilities, I think sport makes such a big difference, the slogan of our organization is sport changes lives."

When Tangen was two years old, she had a spinal cord infection that damaged nerves and impaired the function of her legs.  She uses a wheel chair and has become an accomplished athlete in hand-cycling attending a handful of world cups and will head to the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

"I just want people, especially those that don't think they can do sport or don't think that sport is for them, I want those people to get engaged in sport and benefit from what sport has to give," she said.

And while Tangen appreciates International Women's Day, she says she's not always heard in male-dominated environments.

"When my husband gives those same instructions, there is a difference," she said. "And I think that it's important that we acknowledge these things because when I'm in a room full of guys and I feel intimidation of being the only girl and feeling like I don't belong here, I think we need to we need to look at those situations and learn from them."

Tangen says if these issues are not addressed it will make it harder for young women who want to pursue their passion.

"Otherwise you won't be able to recruit these little girls right? They won't be able to feel welcomed in the room with guys if we don't actually look at what's happening today and learn from what's happening today," she said. 

"I think we're on the right path," she added, "but there's more work to be done."