Celebrating the Journeys, Leadership and Impact of Immigrant Women in Quebec
Description :
Produced with the financial support of Desjardins – Caisse du Sud-Ouest de Montréal and the Fondation Les Œuvres Marie Gérin-Lajoie, Impact au féminin aims to raise awareness of inspiring careers as well as initiatives and projects led by immigrant women, who contribute, through their ideas, achievements and commitment, to the social, cultural and economic development of Quebec.
What the winners earn
$1,000 recognition to celebrate their impact
Ten immigrant women will be selected: five in each category.
Each recipient will receive a $1,000 recognition grant highlighting the scope of her career, her leadership and her initiatives or projects that contribute to the enrichment of Quebec society.
The winners will be announced in February 2027, and honoured at a public event in March 2027, as part of International Women's Day, to celebrate and highlight the contribution of immigrant women to Quebec society.
Have you developed a project, created a business, mobilized your community, advanced your field or contributed in some other way to Quebec society? We would like to discover your background.
▪ Application period: September 14 to November 19, 2026, inclusive.
▪ Announcement of the winners: February 2027.
▪ Award ceremony: at a public event in March 2027.
TWO CATEGORIES
Category 1 – Established Women Leaders
This category is for immigrant women whose leadership is recognized and whose contribution has had a significant impact over the years.
Particular attention will be paid to the length of the course, the extent of the achievements, the influence exerted in their field or community and the contribution to Quebec society.
Category 2 – Emerging Women
This category is intended for immigrant women whose careers, leadership or initiatives are developing or on the rise
In particular, it aims to recognize women who have already taken concrete actions and obtained results, but whose projects or leadership are still in development and have strong potential for the years to come.
Who can apply?
To be eligible, the candidate must:
· Be a woman born outside Canada and immigrated to Quebec, regardless of the year of arrival;
· Reside in Quebec at the time of application.
· Have developed a significant part of their professional, entrepreneurial or community career in Quebec;
· Be the leader of an initiative or project, or have carried out concrete actions that have generated spinoffs in Québec;
· Submit a single nomination in one of the two categories;
· Submit all required documents by the deadline.
* Eligibility is not conditional on a specific immigration status
🔎 SELECTION CRITERIA
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
· Career and achievements;
· Leadership and Commitment;
· Innovation and Contribution;
· Influence and Impact;
· Vision and potential.
For established women leaders, special attention will be paid to the breadth of achievements, influence and sustained contribution over the years.
For emerging women, special attention will be paid to vision, innovation, first concrete achievements, commitment and potential for development and future contribution.
There are many paths and they are not defined solely by the traditional criteria of success. We also want to highlight women who, through their initiatives, commitment or vision, make a significant contribution to their community, their field of activity or Quebec society.