At the heart of its exciting programming, the Women's Summit presents three exceptional keynote speakers: Danièle Henkel, emblematic entrepreneurship figure and star of the show Dans l'oeil du Dragon, Blandine Soulmana, author and prominent Québecois expert in the field of human rights and resilience, and Stéphanie St-Pierre, historian and professor in the social studies sciences at Université Sainte-Anne. Manon Lavoie, author, certified coach in creativity and positive psychology and founder of M comme Muses, is also featured in the programming as a workshop facilitator and a round table participant.
These keynote conferences anchor three days of activities that include pertinent discussions on the topics of financial health, stress management, emotional, physical, and mental balance, and more. The Women's Summit also offers networking opportunities, mini-sessions of yoga, dance, and meditation, interaction with various exhibits, and fun-filled evenings of activities.
“We have prepared a wide-ranging, inspiring program that addresses a wide range of concerns present in the daily lives of women,” says Jeannine Riant, Head of the Women’s Summit. “Women wear many hats within their families and communities. We invite women to come and recharge their batteries, share their stories in a friendly atmosphere and refresh themselves in the salty air of southwest Nova Scotia. The Women’s Summit is an opportunity to come have fun and learn.”
The registration cost for the Women’s Summit is $45. Meals spanning from August 13 in the evening until August 15 in the morning are included in these fees. Accommodations at Université Sainte-Anne are available exclusively to participants at a cost of $100 per night for a single room or $125 per night for a double room.
To register for the 2024 Women’s Summit, please visit: https://cma2024.ca/en/program/womenssummit
More details on the 2024 Women's Summit, including specific times for all sessions, will be announced in the coming months.
DAY-TO-DAY PREVIEW OF THE 2024 WOMEN’S SUMMIT
Tuesday, August 13 @ Université Sainte-Anne
Theme: Financial Health
A day dedicated to strengthening women's financial confidence. Offering strategic avenues and solutions to overcome financial insecurities.
Programming Overview
Welcome: La force est dans nos racines…l’histoire continue
Opening Address : Stéphanie St-Pierre
Round Table : Financial Health
Workshops
Dinner
Social Evening
Wednesday, August 14 @ École secondaire de Par-en-Bas
Theme : Discovering Your Potential
An inspiring day focused on stress management and emotional, physical and mental balance for a healthier life.
Programming Overview
Keynote 1: Blandine Soulmana
Round Table: Health Focus
Networking Activities of Choice (discussion, exhibits, mini-sessions - Yoga, Kirtan, meditation, dance, movement)
Workshops
Physical Activity: Movement
Keynote 2: Danièle Henkel
Dinner
Community Concert
Thursday, August 15 @ Université Sainte-Anne
Theme: Let’s celebrate!
Celebrate the successes of the Summit, continue the steps towards fulfillment, and celebrate August 15 together.
Programming Overview
Presentation of conference successes
Gathering and recognition of the next generation and the 2024 Women’s Summit around festivities
Closing remarks
National Acadian Day celebrations
MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS AND FACILITATOR
DANIÈLE HENKEL (Speaker) - An emblematic figure of Quebec entrepreneurship, Danièle Henkel was honored in 2017 with the medal of the Knight of the Order of Merit of France. Born in Morocco and raised in North Africa, she studied international relations and worked for the United States Embassy in Algeria. In 1990, faced with extremism in Algeria, she immigrated to Quebec and founded Les Entreprises Danièle Henkel™ in 1996, becoming a leader in the medical-aesthetic field. Her resilience and creativity led her to create a training academy in this field, as well as to launch 80 high-quality healthcare franchises with Uniprix in 2015. A media personality known for her role in the show Dans l’oeil du Dragon, Danièle Henkel is involved in several social causes. She has held managerial and strategic advisory roles and chaired the board of directors for Parc Jean-Drapeau. Passionate about the financial empowerment of women, she was named champion of the #WeFi initiative by the Government of Canada. In 2018, she founded Henkel Media to promote entrepreneurs, particularly those who are underrepresented. She is also co-creator of a certification program in inclusive and participatory leadership aimed at promoting diversity and meritocracy.
BLANDINE SOULMANA (Speaker) - Author of six books in Quebec and two in France, Blandine Soulmana is now a key figure on the Quebec scene specializing in the topics of human rights and resilience. We hear her on the radio, we see her on TV, and she travels throughout French Canada to denounce, through her conferences, injustices, inform on what hurts and stir up what needs to be done. What is important for our development is to put a boundary between who we were and who we want to become, to take into account past trials and to learn to put ourselves first, so as not only to survive, but finally LIVE. Loving helps you know, knowing helps you understand, and understanding helps you love yourself. 
STÉPHANIE ST-PIERRE (Speaker) - Stéphanie St-Pierre is an historian and professor in the social sciences department at Université Sainte-Anne. As a committed Francophone, she generally describes herself as Franco-Ontarian by origin and Acadian by adoption. Holder of a doctorate in history from the University of Montreal, she is a specialist in the history of Canadian Francophonies with a particular interest in the study of historical production and the links between history and identity in a French-speaking minority environment. In recent years, she has carved out a place for herself in women's history. She questions, in particular, the place of women as producers of historical knowledge in Acadia and in Canadian Francophonie. She has published nearly ten texts, articles and book chapters, including a text on the Franco-Ontarian historian Georgette Lamoureux. The collective work that she co-edited with Jimmy Thibeault, Michael Poplyansky and Chantal White, Parole et regards de femmes en Acadie, was published in 2020. 
MANON LAVOIE (Facilitator) - Author of the book Créer le meilleur de soi and the booklet Cultiver une vie inspirée, Manon Lavoie is a certified coach in creativity and positive psychology as well as the founder of M comme Muses. Former communications advisor for several large companies, she reinvented her life to make it more beautiful, richer, and more meaningful. Her unique approach has been cited in several media, including La Presse, Les Affaires Plus, Coup de Pouce, Châtelaine, La Semaine, Les libraires, and the magazines Happinez and Calme in Europe. This approach combines creativity, positive psychology and mindfulness to allow you to create a life that reflects your image. A richer and more meaningful life through a return to daily creativity which then has a major impact in all spheres of your life, including professional life. MORE ABOUT THE WOMEN'S SUMMIT
Since 1994, the Women's Summit has been an integral part of the CMA. This component aims to mobilize Acadian and Francophone women to ensure an inclusive and non-judgmental gathering opportunity to guide them towards a healthier life. The Summit also provides an opportunity to celebrate the intergenerational transfer of traditional and modern knowledge as well as the societal change accomplished by female leadership, all while inspiring the next generation. The Congrès mondial acadien 2024 recognizes the financial contribution of the Government of Canada, the province of Nova Scotia, and the municipalities of Clare and Argyle.