Folorunsho-Barry: How I’m Helping Immigrant Women Become Stable

Tracy Folorunsho-Barry, founder of the employment and empowerment initiative Grow Women Leaders (GWL), has underscored the importance of workplace stability for immigrant women, calling attention to the unique challenges they face in securing and retaining employment.

Speaking on her experience as an immigrant in Canada, Folorunsho-Barry, who is also an employment strategist, highlighted the disconnect between immigrants’ qualifications and their career prospects abroad.

“Many immigrants arrive with advanced degrees and vast experience but still struggle to find meaningful employment. The barriers are real,” she said.

According to her, immigrant women face a compounded set of challenges, including gender bias, racial discrimination, and the pressure of balancing family responsibilities—all of which significantly hinder their economic empowerment.

In response to these challenges, she founded Grow Women Leaders, a platform aimed at supporting skilled immigrant women through job matching, training, and career retention programmes.

Since its establishment nearly a decade ago, GWL has helped over 6,000 women secure jobs and advance their careers, with a success rate of 75-85 percent post-training.

Initially launched in Canada in 2016 as Project 150 under the Canada 150 celebrations, the initiative spotlighted immigrant women who overcame systemic barriers to become business leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs.

“We wanted to show that despite the obstacles, immigrant women can succeed. Our mission has always been to not just get women hired, but to ensure they stay and thrive,” she explained.

Folorunsho-Barry revealed that the organisation’s holistic strategy revolves around training, mentorship, and robust employer partnerships aimed at fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.

She also stressed the importance of retention strategies, noting that hiring women is only the first step.

Expanding beyond Canada, GWL is now making its debut in Nigeria, seeking to address similar employment struggles faced by local women. Many Nigerian women, she noted, graduate with degrees but often remain directionless or unsupported in their career journey.

“Through our SEED principle—Support, Encourage, Empower, and Develop—we are equipping Nigerian women with the tools they need to chart their career paths and succeed,” she said.

She also pointed to cultural and systemic obstacles such as language limitations, caregiving duties, and employer bias that often stand in women’s way. However, she believes that comprehensive support structures—including childcare services, mentorship, and flexible work options—can effectively mitigate these barriers.

In Canada, GWL has established a dedicated space where women can access training, remote work facilities, and child-minding services, ensuring they remain productive while balancing personal and professional responsibilities.

Looking ahead, Folorunsho-Barry expressed optimism about expanding GWL’s impact, aiming to boost post-training employment rates to 90 percent or higher through deeper collaborations with employers and community leaders.

“With the right support, women can transform not just their own futures but the socio-economic landscape of their communities,” she concluded.