OUR STORY
About Fora
Launched in 2009, Fora has always placed young leaders marginalized by their gender at the centre of decision-making processes.
Fora: Network for Change delivers programs and skill-building opportunities that prepare the next generation of leaders to amplify their voices in decision-making spaces. Since 2009, Fora (formerly G(irls)20), has been investing in young changemakers experiencing gender-based discrimination, and working to build more inclusive and equitable decision-making spaces.
Through renowned leadership training, advocacy, and community-building initiatives, as well as our signature programs — Rise on Boards, the Global Summit, and our Advocacy efforts — we help young trailblazers gain new skills, confidence, supportive networks, and opportunities to lead gender equity movements, advance in their career trajectories, and change the status quo.
These young leaders aren’t waiting on the sidelines to make an impact on the world — they are already driving change. We’re here to help them do it.
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OUR MISSION
Fora is advancing the full participation of young women and gender-marginalized leaders in decision-making spaces to change the status quo.
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OUR VISION
A world in which young leaders marginalized by their gender are able to participate fully in the economic growth, political stability, and social innovations of their countries.
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OUR MANDATE
To work in partnership with individuals, foundations, the social profit sector, governments and the private sector to provide unparalleled training and opportunities for young women and gender-marginalized leaders to be agents of change.
We changed our name,
not our mission.
Over the past two years, we have seen a seismic shift across the world, and we have heard calls from our community, rightly demanding more from the gender equality movement. As we developed our new strategic plan, we consulted our program participants, partners, staff, board of directors, and our broader community, and the feedback helped us focus our new strategic plan on two core areas: impact and growth. This strategy better supports our community, our wider mission, and our founding principles.
What emerged through the strategic planning process was a natural shift in the presentation of the organization. With this, G(irls)20 has evolved with a new name. Fora is the plural of Forum and is defined as a meeting place of ideas. The key strength of our organization has always been our programming where lived experience, knowledge, and mentorship created a learning network by and for young leaders. We feel the new name is a great fit for our work while also allowing us space to grow and evolve.
Fora's programs and operations will continue to be participant-informed, using an intersectional lens that especially considers the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and racialized community members, the different lived experiences of youth around the world, and the diversity of genders.
The Fora Journey
2009
Preparations for the G20 to be hosted in Toronto, Canada, for the first time is underway — with no plans to ensure young women and gender-marginalized youth were included in conversations.
2010
The G20 is hosted in Toronto for the first time, and the organization G(irls)20 is officially founded.
2011-2013
G(irls)20 receives charitable status.
2014-2015
We have a massive gender-equity win at the G20
- Based on our persistent advocacy work, the G20 announced a plan to create meaningful employment for 100 million women in the workplace within G20 countries, with the hopes that it would reduce the gender gap in labour force participation by 25% by 2025.
- In addition to our Global Summits in Australia and Turkey, G(irls)20 launches a 'Fathers Empowering Daughters' Campaign, with global reach featuring prominent figures from Shakira to Ziauddin Yousafzai [Malala's Father].
2016-2017
We begin to expand our programming within Canada, and Heather Barnabe joins as CEO
2018 - 2020
A new strategic direction for our organization
2021
Rebranding to reflect our community
- After months of community consultation, G(irls)20 is officially renamed Fora: Network for Change in response to community feedback and to better reflect our participants.
- Fora receives new funding to formalize our Advocacy portfolio for the first time and expand our communications and fundraising teams.
- Fora launches Elevate, a social enterprise designed to support the professional development of young gender-marginalized leaders in corporate spaces.
- As part of the Strategic Plan , we choose to open Global Summit applications to a truly global audience for the first time, and permanently move the Global Summit to Toronto as we de-couple from the G20.
- In response to the urgent disruption caused by COVID-19, Fora launches the Next Level program, providing young women and youth navigating gender-based marginalization from the retail and hospitality sectors in Canada with social-emotional skills and transferable skills training along with supportive coaching to navigate the changing economy on their own terms.
2022-2023
Making changes to build an even more inclusive organization
- The Global Summit returns to Toronto for the first time since Fora was founded and has applicants from around the world, including an Indigenous Peoples Group.
- Fora's team and community discusses ways to make our language, operations, and programming more inclusive.
- Fora rebrands the Girls on Boards program to Rise on Boards to better reflect our community.
- Fora pilots a Rise on Boards Scaling Project, to further expand the reach and impact of the program.
2024 & Onwards
A New Era at Fora
- After 6 incredible years of steering Fora, Heather Barnabe transitions onwards, welcoming in Emma Asiedu-Akrofi as Fora's new CEO.
- Fora's team prepares to envision what Fora will continue to look like, building on over a decade of impactful advocacy work and youth leadership.
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