This panel event follows the launch of the report, Voices that Matter, an intersectional study of Canadian Muslim women. The panel discussion will focus on the findings of the report pertaining to mothers, and implications for policies across different areas of society. The panelists are Canadian Muslim women of diverse social identities and will speak to their own experiences as well as their expertise in work and research.
The panel discussion will highlight the experiences of Canadian Muslim mothers in the labour market, as single mothers, as racialized mothers, as newcomer and refugee mothers, and as mothers of children with diverse abilities.
The full report is available for free download here.
Read the News Release here.
Read a Summary of Voices that Matter’s Findings and Recommendations here.
About the report
Voices that Matter applies an intersectional approach to explore the socioeconomic and demographic lived realities of Canadian Muslim women who are refugees, newcomers, Black, single mothers, queer, or women with diverse abilities. The project is unique in its focus on women whose voices and realities are seldom heard or reflected in the work of other Muslim or mainstream organizations in Canada.
Panelists
Dr. Muna Saleh
Dr. Muna Saleh is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE), former elementary and secondary school teacher, mother to three awesome humans, and the author of “Stories We Live and Grow By: (Re)Telling Our Experiences as Muslim Mothers and Daughters.” Drawing upon her experiences as an intergenerational survivor of violent Palestinian displacement and as a caregiver to a child with a dis/ability, her most recent research is a narrative inquiry alongside Muslim mothers of children with dis/abilities who arrived in Canada with refugee experiences.
Yusra Qadir
Yusra works with the Mothers Matter Centre Canada as the Director for Innovations, Advocacy and Multicultural HIPPY. She has rich experience of working with refugees and displaced populations in both the global south and north. Her interests include gender-based programming, mainstreaming vulnerable groups in governance processes, and working on meaningful social inclusion programs. She has a Master’s degree in Sociology and an MS in Human Rights Practice from Europe. Yusra has 15 years of experience of designing and managing projects aimed at empowering vulnerable and marginalized groups especially women and minorities at global and national levels. Before her engagement with the Mothers Matter Centre, she worked for the United Nations and many other rights-based international organizations.
Arfa Dar
Arfa, is an International Professional Who has built a Career of advocating for sustainable employment opportunities for the underrepresented vulnerable minorities. An avid community contributor believing in giving back and making a difference, one day at a time. She contributes her time on multiple community circles such as Halton Equity Diversity Roundtable , Halton Newcomer Strategy Group, Peel Halton Workforce Group, World Education Services - Gateway Partner.
Natasha Akhtar - New Brunswick CCMW Chapter President
Natasha is a dedicated community volunteer and organizer. She brings decades of professional and intercultural experience to her engagements. An immigrant to Canada, she holds an associate's degree in Psychology, Economics and Political Science and a medical degree from Pakistan. She also has graduate studies and work experience in biomedical science and cancer prevention research from Rhode Island, USA. She is fluent in Urdu, English and Punjabi.
Since establishing her family in Fredericton in 2004, Natasha has been involved in community education with the Asian Heritage Society and the Muriel McQueen Centre for Family Violence, volunteered for political campaigns, served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Multicultural Association of Fredericton, the New Brunswick Advisory Forum for Immigrant Women, and served on her children's Parent School Support Committees. She co-founded the Immigrant Women's Association of New Brunswick, and founded the NB Chapter of CCMW. Natasha is an advocate for the empowerment of immigrant and minority women as well as for the meaningful inclusion of their families in New Brunswick.
Most recently Natasha designed and facilitated community dialogues for the Municipal Elections as a Social Cohesion Ambassador for Dialogue NB. She is also producing a podcast for people of color and religious minorities in NB called "We can fight like cats if we have to."
Arij Elmi
Arij Elmi is a PhD candidate in Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She holds an appointment to the School of Social Work at McMaster University. She previously served as a research associate with the Sexual Assault Resistance Education (SARE) Centre. Her research and writing is informed by a decolonial Black feminist approach and has focused on the subjectivities of young Muslim women.