Arezoo Najibzadeh: 2020

Arezoo is a rising voice for women’s civic and political leadership in Canada. As the Founder of Platform, Arezoo is boldly transforming civic spaces to reflect the lived experiences and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and racialized young women and gender-diverse youth. Since 2017 she has built civic leadership capacity among young women and gender-diverse youth and worked with civic leaders to challenge systemic barriers against their civic engagement. As a natural story-teller and an inquisitive thinker, Arezoo is on a mission to curate conversations and build bridges among people to shape a future that centres intersectional gender-justice and equity. Arezoo is regularly consulted to lend her expertise and perspective to civil society organizations and movements. Arezoo was most recently recognized as the 2020 Young Woman of Distinction by YWCA Toronto.

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PREVIOUS WOMEN WHO INSPIRE AWARD RECIPIENT

Fanta Ongoiba, Executive Director, APAA & Women Who Inspire Award Winner, 2013

“CCMW recognizes the resilience of women and I encourage you to join the organization in any capacity for the good work they are doing. Receiving an award from CCMW, which works around equity, equality and empowerment of women, encouraged and empowered me to continue to do the work in our community in Toronto. To speak about the unspoken. About HIV which is a taboo subject in our communities.”