Anjum Sultana: 2020
Anjum Sultana is the National Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at YWCA Canada, the nation’s largest and oldest gender equity organization. Anjum is the primary author and operations lead of ‘A Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Canada’ – the first nationally-focused plan of its kind in the world.
Anjum is active in the Muslim community and has volunteered with organizations such as the Canadian-Muslim Vote, Muslim Awards of Excellence, Muslim Youth Fellowship, and Naseeha Mental Health. Anjum is an accomplished public speaker and a frequently cited expert and commentator in digital, print, radio, and TV platforms. Her media and policy commentary has been featured on networks and publications such as Apolitical, CBC, CityTv, CTV, First Policy Response, Healthy Debate, National Observer, New Canadian Media, Now Toronto, Public Policy Forum, The Walrus, Toronto Sun, and TVO.
Anjum is the recipient of the 2014 CCMW Lila Fahlman Scholarship – an investment she credits to paving the way for her Masters in Public Health and career in public policy. She holds a Masters in Public Health from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Anjum serves on the boards of the Regent Park Community Health Centre, Toronto Environmental Alliance and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians. She is also founding advisor of Progress Toronto and served as Canadian delegate at the 2019 G7 Youth Summit in Paris, France through Young Diplomats of Canada. She currently serves as an advisor for KimboCare, a social enterprise focused on promoting access to health care in Global South nations.
Anjum is also the founder of Millennial Womxn in Policy, a grassroots organization and community of practice that connects more than 3,000 young women and non-binary people working in policy across North America and Europe in civil society, politics, private sector and public service. Since 2018, Millennial Womxn in Policy has hosted over 12 events in cities across Canada including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.
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.”