Meet our Team
Sidrah Ahmad-Chan
Sidrah Ahmad-Chan is a PhD student at the University of Toronto, where she is studying how to improve supports for survivors of gendered violence and abuse within Muslim communities. She is currently a Research Assistant with the Canadian Domestic Violence Homicide Prevention Initiative for Vulnerable Populations and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Building Muscle project at the Redwood Women's Shelter. Sidrah is the past coordinator of the Neighbours, Friends and Families domestic violence prevention campaign in immigrant and refugee communities, and is the current coordinator of the Rivers of Hope Project. Sidrah's work has been featured in the Toronto Star, CBC Radio, This Magazine, Broadview Magazine, OMNI Television, Living In Colour, CTV's The Social, BBC World Radio, and other platforms. You can follow her work on Twitter at @Sidrahmay.
Samra Zafar
Samra Zafar is an award-winning internationally renowned speaker, and bestselling author, who advocates for human rights, equity, mental health. Her book, A Good Wife: Escaping The Life I Never Chose, is a bestseller and named among CBC's Best Books of 2019, and it is soon being adapted to a premium TV series. Her work has been extensively featured in global media and her speaking portfolio includes three TED Talks, and many leading non-profits, corporations and universities around the world. Her tireless commitment to empower others has earned her the title of one of Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, and one of Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Samra serves as a Governor for University of Toronto, a Celebrated Ambassador for Plan International, and a board member for Women's College Hospital Foundation. For more information, please visit www.samrazafar.
Rifaa Carter
Rifaa Carter is a survivor and advocate who is passionate about empowering women and girls against gender-based violence. Her primary focus is supporting immigrant and refugee women who are facing domestic violence; her approach centers around informing survivors about abuse and how it works, connecting them to resources, and advocating for them wherever needed. Rifaa sits on the Advisory Committee at the Sexual Assault Centre Kingston and volunteers on the Crisis Line. She is also an active member of the Kingston Anti-Violence Advisory Council and is an Advocacy member at Women at the Centre. In 2019, Rifaa founded Women Stronger Together, a Muslim survivor-led and survivor-run initiative focused on changing attitudes and responses to gender-based violence in the Muslim community to create responsive communities in which victims of abuse feel safe to speak out and are supported, not silenced.