Paulette Senior is among three new appointments to the Senate of Canada.

Senior is currently the president and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and was previously the CEO of YWCA Canada. She has devoted much of her life to breaking down systemic barriers and building up women and girls of diverse backgrounds.

“HUGE NEWS!! Paulette Senior, ICD.D appointed to the Senate of Canada. Huge congrats, my friend! So proud of you and so very well deserved. Recognition of a career of exemplary service challenging and disrupting barriers to equity. A humble but powerful leader with the highest standards of ethics and excellence. Walk good, my friend!” said Craig Wellington, executive director of the Black Opportunity Fund, in a LinkedIn post.

Marnie McBean, a motivational speaker and published author, was also appointed. She is one of the most decorated Olympians in Canadian history. As an officer of the Order of Canada, she champions social justice causes and to serve as a role model for young Canadian athletes. Toni Varone, a businessman and philanthropist, was named too. He is the president of the Varone Group and a long-time board member of the Villa Charities Foundation.

Senior has been a thought leader on various women’s issues, including promoting gender equity, addressing gender-based violence, reducing women’s poverty, shrinking the wage gap, and promoting the empowerment of women and girls across Canada. She has led, managed, and operated Toronto-based shelters, employment and housing programs. She’s also sat on the board of directors of several equity-focused organizations, including the Women’s College Hospital and the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council. She currently sits on the board of directors of Oxfam Canada, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, and the Women’s Funding Network. In 2022, she was appointed as a member of the Independent Advisory Board for Supreme Court of Canada Judicial Appointments.

In recognition of her community service, Senior has received several awards, including the African Canadian Achievement Award, the AfroGlobal Leadership Award, the Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Trailblazer Award, the Top 25 Women of Influence Award, and most recently, the Skills for Change Impact Changemaker Award. In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Urban Studies from York University and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Lethbridge.