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Our mission

Learn about the Lise Watier Foundation mission.

Help women

The mission of the Lise Watier Foundation

The Foundation’s mission is to support and encourage the economic development and financial independence of local women by providing them with the means to realize their full potential. The Lise Watier Foundation’s vision is for all women to fulfill their potential and contribute to our economy, creating a richer, more equitable society.

Through its professional development program, the Lise Watier Foundation provides women with concrete means to develop their skills with training, individualized coaching and financial support. Women thus begin a new start towards financial independence through entrepreneurship, post-secondary education or the job market.

In Canada, poverty affects primarily women 46% of working women earn less than $30,000 per year.*

According to a 2017 study by KPMG…    

  • 86 % of women recall being taught to be kind to others when they were young…
  • But only 45 % recall being given advice on how to be a good leader
  • And only 34 % learned how to express their views. 

It says a lot about women’s financial independence!

What if the root of the problem was …

  1. A lack of self-knowledge
  2. A lack of support in developing one’s abilities
  3. A difficulty in getting into action?

* Statistics Canada (2021). Table 11-10-0240-01  Distribution of employment income of individuals by sex and work activity, Canada, provinces and selected census metropolitan areas

The Lise Watier Foundation, a story of hope

Born in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a working-class neighborhood of Montreal, Lise Watier has always been close to women and has always helped them to accentuate their beauty by showcasing their attributes and building their self-esteem. Ms. Watier’s Beauty and Charm Institute in the 1960s, her perfumes, and her skincare and make-up products are all a testament to her faith in women’s capacity to develop their self-confidence, reach their full potential, and stand out from the crowd.

Helping women: a true calling

When Lise Watier Cosmetics was sold in 2009, Lise Watier created the Lise Watier Foundation with her daughter Marie-Lise Andrade. Through the Foundation’s mission, this entrepreneurial pioneer shares the same message of confidence and hope with women in vulnerable situations.

Today the Foundation offers the Let’s Start Up Program, an innovative program designed for women who want to invest in a professional project. It aims to reveal and develop the potential and confidence of each woman, so that she can take action to become financially independent.

The values of the Foundation

The following values are at the heart of all our reflections and actions…

Respect
Compassionate and non-judgmental acknowledgement and appreciation of each woman’s unique value and potential
Commitment
A commitment to wholeheartedly and generously investing in, and contributing to, both individual and collective well-being
Collaboration
Mutual support, teamwork and pooling of strengths and experiences so that together, we have an impact and make a difference.

MARIE-ÈVE

Graduate of the Let’s Start Up Program

The Lise Watier Foundation offers the Let’s Start Up program in Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, the Laurentians and Montérégie. More than 200 women a year are committed to taking action through the Let’s Start Up program. They graduate with a better understanding of their strengths and skills, as well as the knowledge and tools to implement their professional project. Women thus begin a new journey towards financial independence through entrepreneurship, a return to school or a more fulfilling job.

Major donors

See all our donors
CDPQ
Fondation J.A. DeSève
RBC
Succes Finder
Sanimax