When girls know their power, they can live their purpose.

Young women with socioeconomic barriers face a proven disadvantage in their future prosperity. GEM was founded in 2012 from a vision that all young women should have the opportunity to succeed despite where they’ve come from or what barriers they’ve faced. We believe that women mentoring girls is essential in fostering the success of the next generation, and critical to creating gender equity in Canada.

What We Do

GEM offers an evidence-based mentorship program for high school girls facing socioeconomic barriers to build their leadership and professional skills to achieve their academic and career potential.

How We Do It

Early intervention

GEM’s programming is unique from other professional mentorship programs as we focus on girls in high school. GEM provides high school girls with mentorship and career guidance before they go to college or university, helping them to be better prepared and understand the career they want to pursue, widening their horizons before and after they graduate.

Research and thought leadership

GEM’s research and advocacy helps to continuously improve its programming in identifying the needs and gaps of the young women we serve and the communities they come from, and in providing resources for others working in this space.

Focus on girls with the greatest need

GEM focuses on outreach with low-income neighbourhoods in Toronto where its support is needed most, while other organizations focus on broader geographic regions and groups.