Building the strongest economy in the G7 requires the full and equal participation of women. Through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), the Government of Canada is helping more women entrepreneurs access the financing, training and networks they need to succeed and help strengthen Canada's economy.
During a visit to Saint-Hyacinthe, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, met with Véronique Guizier, President of Agricultrices du Québec, and Katherine Rousseau, Director General of Agricultrices du Québec to highlight the essential role of women in agriculture. On behalf of the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), Minister Lightbound celebrated that Agricultrices du Québec received an additional $628,501 for 2026-2027 through the WES Ecosystem Fund for Dimension E. This program aims to strengthen women's entrepreneurship in the agricultural and forestry sectors across Canada. This additional investment brings the funding for Dimension E to a total of $3,397,617 since the program launched in 2023-2024.
Dimension E provides tailored bilingual services to women entrepreneurs across Canada, helping them start, grow and sustain agricultural businesses through mentorship, expert advisory services, training, networking opportunities and personalized business support.
The program was developed in response to barriers that disproportionately affect women agricultural entrepreneurs, including challenges in accessing capital, acquiring agricultural assets, balancing family and business responsibilities, and accessing entrepreneurial networks and business advisory services.
Since its launch in 2018, WES has supported nearly 600,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada. Women entrepreneurs are also benefiting from the federal government's broader efforts to strengthen small businesses, including tariff relief measures, funding for AI adoption, red tape reduction and support for exporting to new markets.
