About Diane Hill

Diane Hill is the Director of Communication for the Gender Equality Network Canada, a national network convened and facilitated by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. She has worked at the Foundation since 2011 and is the former Senior Director of Public Engagement where she oversaw all marketing, communications, public relations, and social media initiatives. As Senior Writer, she founded and edited the Foundation’s biannual magazine, SHE. Diane is a graduate of the Assaulted Women's and Children's Counsellor/Advocate program at George Brown College and has a Master of Environmental Studies from York University. A former auto mechanic, she has worked as a writer, communicator, and social issue researcher for over 20 years and is the former Director of Policy and Research at United Way Toronto. Her writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Reader’s Digest, and Best Health.

5 Reasons Why Confidence Matters

2022-05-24T17:52:04+00:00November 20, 2014|Empowering girls|

Girl Smiling Research shows that only 14% of girls in Grade Ten feel self-confident.

So what?

Sure, confidence is wonderful—a nice cherry on the top of life—but don’t lots of people succeed in life despite their insecurities?

As it turns out, confidence is at the root of a surprising number of life outcomes for girls. 

Here’s 5 reasons why it’s important to help girls build their confidence:

Our Fears are Not Ridiculous

2014-11-03T20:59:43+00:00November 3, 2014|Gender-based violence|

Women with hands upThis past week, women and girls have been speaking out in the millions about sexual violence and harassment. Gaining courage from one another, we have poured into the digital streets, linking arms and saying, “Me too.” It’s like our own Arab Spring. As our latest SHE editorial says: “It’s a question of freedom.”

Are women and girls in Canada really free? This question popped into my head after reading the wonderful quote: “‘Freedom from fear’ could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights.” (Download a poster here!)

A Mentor Can Help You Become Who You Really Are

2014-10-12T23:25:17+00:00October 12, 2014|Empowering girls, SHE Magazine|

Maisha and AmarMaisha (left, 18) and Amar (right, 15) are mentors in girls’ programs funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation. When they were younger, they attended similar programs as participants. In this interview, they talk about how having a mentor helped them and what it’s like to be a mentor.

Maisha: I’ll start with why I decided to become a mentor. I had been volunteering as a leader in the YWCA weekly camps but I always worked with different girls.

Seven Teachings for Violence Prevention

2017-12-19T18:57:55+00:00September 16, 2014|Empowering girls|

Sacred SevenCourage. Wisdom. Respect. Love. Honesty. Truth. Humility. Every parent wants their child to know and live these values, but how can we make sure they do?

In the inner city of Winnipeg, where many Aboriginal families live in poverty, one innovative program is connecting girls to these values through the “Sacred Seven” teachings, one of the cornerstones of Aboriginal teaching. The Sacred Seven Healthy Relationship program is a two-year afterschool program that reaches 100 youth directly and hundreds more through presentations at partnering schools.