Trailblazing Dragons' Den Star Named United Nations Association in Canada's 2024 Global Citizen Laureate
May 23 2024 - 5:22PM
The United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) is thrilled
to announce that our annual gala honouring our Global Citizen Award
2024 Laureate, Manjit Minhas, will be held on October 15 in
Toronto.
This award recognizes Canadians who have demonstrated leadership
in their communities and beyond to promote the mission and mandate
of the United Nations. Ms. Minhas commented, “I am incredibly
honoured to be a Global Citizen Laureate and welcome the
opportunity to help bring attention to UNA-Canada's work through
our shared commitment to the UN goal of gender equality. It’s a
focus of much of my charity work, such as working with YW Calgary
to raise $50 million for a crisis shelter for women and children
fleeing domestic abuse.”
Venturing into the entrepreneurial world as a 19-year-old, Ms.
Minhas invested everything she had into her dream of starting a
business. Many years, roadblocks, and big breaks later, she is the
CEO of Minhas Breweries, Distillery, and Wineries, presiding over a
network of 90 brands sold in 18 countries with a 2021 annual
revenue exceeding $220 million.
Ms. Minhas was selected as this year’s Global Citizen Award
recipient for her commitment to investing in women-run enterprises
and her philanthropic efforts to empower women. Ms. Minhas has
achieved barrier-breaking success in the male-dominated business
world, exemplifying, through her own journey, strides towards
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 of Gender Equality. Ms. Minhas
noted that “I’ve always been cognizant of encouraging women
business owners on The Den and in other mentoring situations,
because a more inclusive economy is a stronger economy.”
The UN echoes this: empowering women and girls in all aspects of
society is an essential tool in reducing poverty, promoting
inclusive growth, and building resilient societies worldwide. If,
by 2025, women participate in the global economy on an equal level
to men, global GDP would increase by 26% - that’s like adding an
economy larger than that of the United States to the world
(McKinsey Consulting Group). Yet women only occupy 30% of senior
management positions in Canadian businesses (Statistics
Canada).
"Since 2015, the global increase in women holding managerial
positions has been a mere 1%. We urgently need more leaders like
Manjit, whose commitment and influence are essential to
accelerating progress toward the gender equality goals outlined in
the SDGs," said UNA-Canada President and CEO Jaime Webbe.
Our annual gala is an exceptional opportunity to
celebrate the achievements of Canadians who exemplify core UN
values. This October, we are excited to honor Ms. Manjit Minhas,
recognizing her remarkable contributions and leadership in gender
equality. Her success as a trailblazing entrepreneur embodies the
spirit of resilience and innovation, serving as a powerful
inspiration for other women and girls to follow in her footsteps
and drive positive change within their communities.
You can learn more about Ms. Minhas and UNA-Canada through the
attached links. For any inquiries, please contact
thomas.lenhard@unac.org