Even remotely, Ubisoft Montreal has organized several activities to mark International Women’s Day at the studio. These activities were designed to promote women’s increasingly fundamental involvement in the technology community. Whether it was Chantal Petitclerc’s stimulating speech or the programming initiatives for young girls, the message is clear: women’s ambition persists and is here to stay.
Chantal Petitclerc’s inspiring lecture
On March 8, we hosted an exceptional speaker. Chantal Petitclerc, the most decorated Paralympic athlete in Canadian history, inspired us with stories of passion, resilience and surpassing your own expectations. A refreshing moment for the studio.
When you lose control over almost everything, you’re left with the control you have over your feelings, emotions and attitude. It’s about deciding how to you want to react and deal with hardship. For me, there are 2 types of challenges: the ones you choose and the ones you don’t. I took on the big challenge, that I didn’t choose, with the right attitude. The one I chose, high performance, was met with passion, discipline and integrity.
Chantal also made us think about, among other things, the challenge that the pandemic has thrown at us and on the key to success based on her experience:
Life’s greatest hardships are also opportunities to learn more about yourself, others and life. In times of change or great stress, you have to separate work from fun. When you can experience something demanding and difficult while having fun, that’s the real measure of success.
We sincerely thank her for taking the time to share her story with us. Her lecture inspires us to keep going and to go further, always.
Introducing girls to programming
So a dozen daughters and nieces of employees between 8 and 12 years old were introduced to the coding basics with the help of our partner Kids Code Jeunesse. By exposing them to the potential of the technology, we hope to encourage them to imagine a future in this field.
In addition to this activity, the budding young programmers were also introduced to 6 iconic women who’ve innovated, invented and inspired in their fields: nurse Jeanne Mance, conservationist Maud Watt, activist and educator Hide Hyodo, athlete Hilda Strike, civil rights activist Viola Desmond, and actress Lily Singh. All grandes dames who’ve contributed to a future where no one is left behind, especially girls.
