Babes On Bay Street

QHow do you deal with inappropriate Bay Street fundraisers?

“I attended an event in support of a charity foundation put on by the industry sector I work in. Obviously every investment bank, public company and service provider provided some sort of sponsorship, my firm included. I was appalled to see that as part of the evening’s entertainment there were 4 body painted 20 year olds wandering essentially topless so that Bay Street’s finest could be photographed with them. Needless to say, as one of the few women there I was pretty uncomfortable. I don’t think my firm is aware of the “entertainment” and I don’t think we should be sponsoring this kind of event. But I am also too scared to raise the issue with the charity or my firm as I know it would make me an outcast. What should I do?”

Tough question! I think the best way to approach this may be to make this a business issue for your firm. I would also suggest trying to enlist some support for raising your concerns, perhaps through women at your firm, other women who attended the event or women at the charity foundation. It is disappointing to see that you feel raising the issue internally will make you an outcast at your own firm. Perhaps, you could speak to a trusted colleague and present it is a business case – you don’t need to emphasize your own views but rather make the point that senior management may want to be aware of how corporate sponsorship funds are being spent for entertainment at a charity function and how this could reflect poorly on your firm and potentially alienate clients (not just female clients).