Gender diversity is fundamental to good corporate governance. Increasing the representation of women in the boardroom helps drive and maximize long-term business success. As the Rosenzweig report points out, the body of research showing this is only growing. Investors have a large role to play in pushing for progress, continuing to call on companies to ensure their director nomination process has due regard for the benefits of gender diversity.

The inclusion of women in the workforce provides access to a tremendous talent pool of resourceful and industrious leaders. Women are leaders who will bring different perspectives and insights for better decision making in business and policy development.

As the breadth of workplace harassment and intimidation becomes clear, we need compassionate, empathetic leaders more than ever before. Unfortunately, women who can bring this style of leadership are often held back by stereotypes, double standards and gendered language that suggest female leaders can’t be both kind and strong. The Rosenzweig Report offers critical data about the state of women’s leadership that can help us better understand the barriers that continue to hold women back and - at the same time - challenge common perceptions about who and what a strong leader looks like.

As someone who appreciates the value of keeping score and understands the power of numbers, I applaud Jay Rosenzweig for tracking the advancement of women in the corporate world. Progress in gender equality requires careful measurement and accountability. By presenting the facts on an annual basis, The Rosenzweig Report performs an invaluable service. As one who is passionate about defending human rights and fostering human dignity, I commend this outstanding effort.

It’s embarrassing that in 2018, we’re still such a long way away from a world of work where women have the same opportunities as men. The Rosenzweig Report shows us how far we still have to go to break glass ceilings and clear bottlenecks in the middle.

Male investors often ask why I started a fund focused on female founders. They said pigeonholing myself was a bad business decision. We are consistently proving this wrong. The data is there. Diverse teams breed success. Women raise half as much money and double the return according to a Dell study. It is refreshing to see men like Jay Rosenzweig who, like me, believes in investing in women and diversity. Jay should be commended not only for his longstanding advocacy on gender equality, years before it was in mode, but also for his personal efforts to spur change by advising so many female led businesses. Bravo! Let’s keep that momentum going. We need more men to invest in diverse teams!

Canada continues to rise as a global force in empowering women, thanks to the initiative of its incredible country leaders including Jay Rosenzweig. At Mogul, one of the largest female millennial platforms worldwide, we are proud to collaborate with Jay Rosenzweig in all ways possible, as he continues to help advance the state of women worldwide.

It’s important that we see something of ourselves when we look into the faces of our leaders of all trades and professions. We need more leaders who recognize this. The Rosenzweig Report tells us that we still have a long way to go in terms of promoting and retaining women – including women of colour – in both the corporate and film world. We are at a pivotal point in humanity where the need to break barriers is necessary more than ever. If I can, in my own way, inspire women through my art to never compromise and to reach for the stars, that would be the ultimate blessing. The feminist struggle is not a struggle to strip men of their power. It’s a fight for equality. So let’s continue to set a precedent. We are here. We are able. And we belong.