Women of 2024

The Women Who Inspire Awards celebrate Canadian Muslim women who have made remarkable contributions in their fields and communities. Launched in 2007, these awards recognize women who embody leadership, resilience, and excellence across sports, business, education, arts, community service, and beyond. 

This year, under the theme “Resistance and Resilience: Tipping the Scales of Justice,” we gather to recognize six remarkable women who have inspired change in their communities. Join us on Sunday, October 20th, at 10:00 AM ET in Toronto for this empowering event.

Here are their stories

Noor Fadel

Noor Fadel (she/her) is an award-winning educator and dynamic public speaker committed to anti-racism, online hate, and anti-Islamophobia work across Canada. Following her traumatic experience as a victim of a hate crime in 2017, Noor transformed her experience into purpose, emerging as a powerful advocate for marginalized communities who have faced and continue to face hate. Currently pursuing her studies in peace and conflict, she examines the critical intersections of race, trauma, and mental health, amplifying the voices of youth and racialized women.

Noor has contributed to national campaigns to combat online hate and has developed impactful anti-racism initiatives that provide essential resources and strategies for communities, youth, and children. Her advocacy work is marked by creativity and engagement; utilizing spoken word poetry, storytelling, and audience collaboration, she captivates and inspires action against hate. Through her tireless efforts, Noor is not just a voice for change—she is a force for a more inclusive and equitable Canada.

Samya Hasan

Samya Hasan is the Executive Director of the Council of Agencies Servicing South Asians (CASSA), a social justice umbrella organization that advocates for South Asian communities in Canada. Samya has been a vocal advocate for human rights issues and issues impacting Muslim communities in Canada and around the world including the genocide of Palestinians. 

Samya received recognition from the Toronto Metropolitan University in 2020 for her work on civic engagement as their “Democracy Superhero”and was selected as CivicAction’s “DiverCity Fellow” for 2020-2021. Prior to CASSA, Samya worked at the City of Toronto as a Policy Consultant. 

Samya attained her Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Toronto and is currently enrolled in a second Masters program in Islamic Studies.

Marieme Lo

Professor Marieme Lo, originally from Senegal, is the Director of the African Studies Centre and an Associate Professor in Women and Gender Studies and African Studies at the University of Toronto. She holds a Licence from Paris 1, Panthéon-Sorbonne, a MA from the University of Dakar (Senegal) and MSc and PhD from Cornell University. She has also received numerous awards and held fellowships at the University of Oxford and Georgetown University. Her research focuses on gender, development, political economy, female entrepreneurship and trade, African urban economies, migration, and climate change in the Sahel, emphasizing gender justice, social justice praxis and creative epistemologies.

Beyond academia, Prof. Lo has led and assessed large-scale interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with grassroots women's organizations, civil society networks like West Africa Civil Society, and international organizations such as UN-Women, The United Nations Development Proramme (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP).

She has also served as Associate Director of the School of Cities and on various boards, including the Université de l'Ontario français, and currently advises the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub.

Yusra Qadir

Yusra Qadir is the Chief Programs and Advocacy Officer at the Mothers Matter Canada. She arrived in Canada in August 2019 with extensive experience in international development, gender equality, and human rights. In her 5 years in Canada she has expanded programs for refugee and immigrant communities across the country, introduced various service delivery improvements, and built the innovation portfolio at the Mothers Matter Canada which tests community led solutions to Canada's most pressing challenges like Gender Based Violence, localizing sustainable development and ensuring access to human rights – all while raising her young family, and navigating her own settlement process during COVID-19. She is a strong voice for women, mothers, and communities of color in Canada. 

Yusra served on Canada’s official delegation to the United Nations for the Commission on the Status of Women in 2023 and to the High Level Political Forum on the Sustainable Development Goals in 2024. Prior to her engagement with Mother Matter Canada, she worked with the United Nations Development Programme and various other civil society organizations in Pakistan for advancing social inclusion, gender equality and human rights. Yusra holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and is an Erasmus Mundus fellow for her MS degree in Human Rights Practice from Europe.

Akila Yahiaoui

Ms. Akila Yahiaoui, MBA graduate from Laval University, is a renowned business coach specializing in empowering women entrepreneurs. With her expertise, she has trained numerous women to develop and succeed in their ventures. A visionary and dedicated leader, she is the founder of Babookid, an innovative company promoting reading among children, and the Centre for Innovation and Digital Well-Being (CIBNQ), where she advocates for digital inclusion, particularly for seniors. As a social impact writer, Akila uses her voice to raise awareness about current issues and promote inspiring, inclusive initiatives.

About the Women Who Inspire Awards

CCMW hosts an annual event, “Women Who Inspire Awards,” which brings together Canadian Muslim women of diverse backgrounds to celebrate those who have achieved excellence in sports, business, education, arts, community service and leadership.  This initiative was launched in 2007 to recognize Canadian Muslim women who have made a difference in the lives of other people in Canada and/or abroad. 

The awards recognize accomplishments of Canadian Muslim women and girls and their contributions to racial and gender equality.  ‘Women Who Inspire’  is a platform to celebrate women who have excelled and who serve as role models of Muslim faith, culture and leadership on issues affecting Canadian Muslim communities.