Dress for Success Ottawa’s annual Your Hour, Her Power campaign kicks off March 8 in celebration of International Women’s Day. It’s inspired by the belief that when women have access to education and job resources, their contributions strengthen communities, increase organizational effectiveness and grow economies.

We have seen women continue to face innumerable challenges. Women have left the workplace at an alarming rate and those that have remained struggle with significant issues with balancing childcare and housework, increased workloads and loss of confidence. Dress for Success is excited to bring back Your Hour, Her Power for another year to inspire hope and resilience among women.

Women like our Client Ambassador, Elizabeth. We are honoured to be part of her journey of regaining confidence and striving for excellence.

Elizabeth moved to Canada from El Salvador 12 years ago so she and her husband could find better opportunities for their sons. This meant leaving behind the career she loved as an immigration lawyer for the United Nations.

Arriving in Canada was very difficult for her at first. With no daycare support, limited English, and her law degree not being recognized in Canada, she struggled to find work.

She was referred to Dress for Success Ottawa, where she signed up for the Suiting Program and a one-to-one Career Coaching Session. We have been supporting Elizabeth for several years and are excited that she has been involved in several other programs, like our All Women’s Empowerment Conference and Accenture’s Skills to Succeed Learning Exchange.

Today, Elizabeth works as a paralegal, is finishing her master's degree in business law, and will soon take the bar exam to get her full license as a lawyer. She credits Dress for Success with supporting her as she regained her confidence and upgraded her professional development skills.

That’s why Elizabeth is asking you to support Dress for Success by donating the equivalent of just one hour of your pay.

“Donors should know that every dollar that you give to improve the career of a woman is making a huge difference, opening the door to each of the clients of Dress for Success.”

Please consider donating today to give a woman or gender non-conforming person access to the programs, services and tools that will empower them to change their life for the better.

We are so thankful for the generosity of the Ottawa Region’s amazing contributions to our programs! We are asking specifically for your financial support because we would like to grow our All Women Empowered Suite of Programs! Thank you for your continued support. 

In honour of women across the National Capital Region, give an hour of your pay between International Women’s Day and Equality Day on April 17th, to empower our community and open the door for many more Elizabeths!