De Beers Group is pleased to offer four new scholarships for Canadian women entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or similar subjects at universities or colleges in Canada.
The scholarships are awarded as part of De Beers Group’s partnership with UN Women and the company’s commitment to advance equal opportunity in Canada. Worth US$2,400 each, the one-year non-renewable scholarships are offered through Scholarships Canada.
Applications for the scholarships will be accepted online until June 1, 2021. Priority for the awards is given to Indigenous women and women living in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Ontario and Southern Alberta.
Mpumi Zikalala, Managing Director of De Beers Group Managed Operations, said: “By investing in scholarships for women, we are working to remove systemic barriers that continue to prevent women from entering careers in STEM fields. We are proud to play our part in accelerating equal opportunity in Canada.”
Since launching in 2018, a total of 53 scholarships have been awarded to Canadian women through the De Beers Group/UN Women partnership, including 12 at the University of Waterloo, 18 at the University of Calgary and 23 through Scholarships Canada.
On March 8, De Beers Group announced that it was extending its global partnership as a HeForShe Thematic Champion for UN Women for an additional five years. The five-year commitment will see De Beers Group enhance talent development and succession programs, extend training and awareness activities to encourage dialogue and challenge stereotypes, conduct regular reviews based on metrics and ongoing feedback, and enable access to STEM careers and education.
De Beers Group has also launched its Building Forever commitments in four key areas, which includes a focus on advancing women within our business and in our local communities.