For all the locals knew, it was just another eager Canadian twentysomething helping them build the school. After all, it's not often a person splits her time between working for an international aid agency in the Masai Mara region of Kenya and working at the Supreme Court of Canada.
But such is the unique career trajectory of Roxanne Joyal. At 28, she already has degrees from Stanford University and Oxford University under her belt, the latter courtesy of a Rhodes scholarship. Five years ago, Maclean's magazine picked her as one of the top 100 people to watch out for in the new millennium. Today, she's one of the 100 most powerful women in Canada. Or at least, she's on her way to joining that impressive list.
Ms. Joyal, who is finishing her work as a clerk in the Supreme Court, is one of four young women selected in the "Future Leaders" category of the top 100 most powerful Canadian women awards, a list compiled by the Women's Executive Network and released today. Ms. Joyal was nominated for her work with Free the Children, a group she helped found that aims to eliminate child exploitation around the world.
It's the first time in the award's three-year history that a Future Leaders category has been included. The contrast between the four new selections and the host of business, political and cultural leaders that inhabit the rest of the list highlights a seismic shift in the ambitions, opportunities and challenges of Canadian women.
"We decided to include the category this year because we received some very good feedback from [last year's awards]" said Pamela Jeffery, founder of the top 100 list. "They told us there's a group of young women out there who are really going to make a difference."
Ms. Jeffery has seen a change in attitude between the younger women and the more experienced executives on the list.
"The women who paved the way, they're usually the award winners," she said, "and their attitude often is that they had to work very hard to get where they are. They had to work twice as hard as a man. They had to make some really hard choices."
Among younger women, there's a greater sense of optimism, she said.
"They believe that things are going to be better for them," she said, "so there's an attitude shift there."
Bonnie DuPont has been an executive since Ms. Joyal was in grade school. The group vice-president of corporate resources at Enbridge Inc. is one of the senior executives on this year's list.
"More women are entering the accounting and engineering professions and as these women start to enter the work force, we will see them climb the ranks of the operating and financial groups," she said. "We are already seeing a significant number of them climbing the financial career ladder, which is great to see."
However, women still face unique challenges when climbing the corporate ladder, she added.
"I am encouraged by some of the young women that I see here at Enbridge, their assertiveness, their career orientation, but I wonder what will happen when they decide to have a family . . . will we lose them?" Will they feel they have to forgo promotions in order to maintain their other responsibilities?"
Some things are easier for young women today than they were for her, Ms. DuPont said. The growing number of women in university classes as well as a consciousness on the part of more executives about the importance of using all human capital makes it easier, she added.
"But we still have some distance to go and individual circumstances still matter a great deal."
Ms. DuPont joined Enbridge nine years ago, shortly before Ms. Joyal began a thesis on the effect of class and gender on the economic vulnerability of women in Kenya.
For Ms. Joyal, the Supreme Court's marble halls aren't so far removed from the Kenyan savannah. She values the intellectual challenges of her legal work, and takes pride in her accomplishments with Free the Children. However, she added that there are overlaps between her two roles.
"You must approach both jobs very humbly," she said.
She takes the same approach when talking of her reaction to joining the ranks of the country's most powerful women.
"It's very much an honour," Ms. Joyal said.
"It's a privilege to be considered someone who could make a difference in Canada the way [the other women on the list]have."
The top 100
The 2005 Canada's Most Powerful Women award winners by category
Corporate executives
DEBORAH ALEXANDE, SCOTIABANK
DIANE BEAN, MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
ELISABETTA BIGSBY, RBC FINANCIAL GROUP
ALBERTA CEFIS, SCOTIA MORTGAGE CORPORATION, SCOTIABANK
SYLVIA CHROMINSKA, SCOTIABANK
LISA COLNETT, CELESTICA
SHERRY COOPER, BMO FINANCIAL GROUP NESBITT BURNS
ISABELLE COURVILLE, ENTERPRISE GROUP BELL CANADA
ELIZABETH DELBIANCO, CELESTICA
BONNIE DUPONT, ENBRIDGE
LISE FOURNEL, AIR CANADA
JANICE FUKAKUSA, RBC FINANCIAL GROUP, ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
MARIANNE HARRISON, MANULIFE FINANCIAL
COLLEEN JOHNSTON, TD BANK FINANCIAL GROUP
ANNALISA KING, MAPLE LEAF FOODS
SUE LEE, SUNCOR ENERGY
FRANCES MAGLIOCCHI, SEARS CANADA
KAREN MAIDMENT, BMO FINANCIAL GROUP
BEV MARGOLIAN, MANULIFE FINANCIAL CORPORATION
DONNA MCNICOL, ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
ROSE PATTEN, BMO FINANCIAL GROUP
KAREN RADFORD, TELUS COMMUNICATIONS
SARAH RAISS, TRANSCANADA CORPORATION
KATHERINE RETHY, FALCONBRIDGE
DRUDE RIMELL, ENCANA CORPORATION
SUSAN ROGERS, CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION
ANDREA ROSEN, TD BANK FINANCIAL GROUP
KATHLEEN SENDALL, PETRO-CANADA
JACQUELINE SHEPPARD, TALISMAN ENERGY
KAREN SHERIFF, BELL CANADA
JUDY SHUTTLEWORTH, TELUS COMMUNICATIONS
BARBARA STYMIEST, RBC FINANCIAL GROUP
ETHEL TAYLOR, SEARS CANADA
MARTINE TURCOTTE, BCE AND BELL CANADA
CATHY WILLIAMS, SHELL CANADA
JANET YALE, TELUS COMMUNICATIONS
Entrepreneurs
ROSSANA DI ZIO, MAGNOTTA MAGNOTTA WINERY CORPORATION
ARLENE DICKINSON, VENTURE COMMUNICATIONS
JANIS GRANTHAM, EAGLE PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES
REBECCA MACDONALD, ENERGY SAVINGS INCOME FUND
BECKY MCKINNON, TIMOTHY'S COFFEES OF THE WORLD
ELAINE MINACS, MINACS WORLDWIDE
SUSAN NICZOWSKI, SUMMER FRESH SALADS
MADELEINE PAQUIN, LOGISTEC CORPORATION
AILEEN REID, A.P. REID INSURANCE STORES
MARILYN SHEFTEL, SILVERHILL ACURA
RITA TSANG, TOUR EAST HOLIDAYS (CANADA)
CORA TSOUFLIDOU, CORA
SYLVIA VOGEL, CANDERM PHARMA
Public sector (ministries)
DR. PENNY BALLEM, PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
BRENDA EATON, PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
JESSICA HILL, PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
JUDY SAMUELSON, PROVINCE OF SASKATCHEWAN
Public sector (other)
JANICE BAKER, CITY OF MISSISSAUGA
LYNDA CRANSTON, PROVINCIAL HEALTH SERVICES AUTHORITY
LORNA MARSDEN, YORK UNIVERSITY
MARTHA PIPER, UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
JUDY ROGERS, CITY OF VANCOUVER
SHEILA WEATHERILL, CAPITAL HEALTH
Trailblazers
BARBARA BARDE, UPFRONT
MAJOR MARYSE CARMICHAEL, CANADIAN FORCES
NANCY GREENE, OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNER
MICHAËLLE JEAN, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA
KERRIN LEE-GARTNER, OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNER
KAREN MAGNUSSEN-CELLA, OLYMPIC MEDAL WINNER
ALEXA MCDONOUGH, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT,
SANDRA POST, SANDRA POST SCHOOL OF GOLF
VEENA RAWAT, RESEARCH CENTRE CANADA
MANON RHEAUME, HOCKEY GOALTENDER
SHERIDAN SCOTT, COMPETITION BUREAU
KAMILIA SOFIA, CAE
SYLVIA SPRING, MAKING WAVES PRODUCTIONS
BELINDA STRONACH, FEDERAL CABINET MINSTER
STELLA THOMPSON, GOVERNANCE WEST
Professionals
JUSTICE DENISE BELLAMY, SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
DR. RUTH COLLINS-NAKAI, CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
DR. KHRISTINN KELLIE LEITCH, CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF WESTERN ONTARIO
MYLÈNE LEVAC-WOLF, ERNST & YOUNG LLP
JUDITH MCKAY, E.I. DU PONT CANADA COMPANY
EILEEN MCMAHON, TORYS LLP
JENNIFER MCNEILL, CIPHERSOFT
KAREN MEADES, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA HEART INSTITUTE
SUE PAISH, FASKEN MARTINEAU DUMOULIN LLP
JACQUELINE SHAN, CV TECHNOLOGIES
DR. WENDY SMELTZER, SANTÉ WELLNESS GROUP
Champions
SYLVIA BASHEVKIN, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
DENISE BEBENEK, MEAGAN'S WALK
PENNY COLLENETTE, UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA
STEPHANIE MACKENDRICK, CANADIAN WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS
NANCY MCKINSTRY, MINERVA FOUNDATION FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA
MARGARET MITCHELL, FORMER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
AKELA PEOPLES, YOUTH IN MOTION
DR. GAIL ROBINSON, UNIVERSITY HEALTH NETWORK
NANCY RUTH, SENATE OF CANADA
CAROL STEPHENSON, UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO
CAROLE TAYLOR, BRITISH COLUMBIA CABINET MINISTER
Future leaders
KAREN CAPUTO, UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, FACULTY OF MEDICINE
JOELLE ABRA FAULKNER, JABRA, COMPOST KING
ROXANNE JOYAL, FREE THE CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL
DR. ALEXANDRA TCHEREMENSKA, PHYSICIAN