Odette McCarthy promotes human rights and gender equality in every project she undertakes. She is Executive Director of Equitas, the International Centre for Human Rights Education, a Canadian organization that advances equality, social justice and respect for human dignity in Canada and around the world. She has nearly 30 years' experience in international cooperation with organizations such as Crossroads International, CECI and WUSC. 

She has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including Cooperation Canada. She is an active member of the working group for a feminist foreign policy and a member of the anti-racism advisory committee of Canada's international cooperation sector. She is a current member of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Permanent Table on Human Rights and was a member of the Canadian government's advisory committee for the Indo-Pacific Strategy 2022. 

In February 2024, Odette McCarthy received the Karen Takacs Award. This award is presented by Cooperation Canada to an individual who, through their collaboration, has significantly improved the lives of women around the world and promoted equality between women and men. For Odette, it was a privileged moment to highlight the strength of collective work in favor of gender equality. For over thirty years, she has worked with people from different backgrounds and levels of influence to advance the cause of gender equality with and for others.