Gala

DEBBIE DOUGLAS

Debbie Douglas is the Executive Director of The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. Through her work in the NGO sector and particularly at OCASI, Ms. Douglas has highlighted issues of equity and inclusion including race, gender and sexual orientation within the immigration system and promoted the creation of safe, welcoming spaces within the settlement and integration sector. She is often called upon by governments to share her expertise. She is a member of the Immigration and Refugee Advisory Committee of Legal Aid Ontario and the federal government’s National Settlement & Integration Council. She is currently on the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors, and was most recently appointed to the Stephen Lewis Foundation Board of Directors. She has been the recipient of several awards including the Women of Distinction from YWCA Toronto, the Amino Malko award from the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations Anti-Racism Award.

FRAN KITELEY

Fran became a lawyer in Ontario in 1976. She practiced law for 19 years during which time she held leadership positions within the legal profession and was the recipient of several awards. She was a founding Director of the Ontario Justice Education Network, a charitable not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with a province-wide mandate that introduces young people to the justice system, helps them understand the law, and builds their legal capability. In 1995, she was appointed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and served the public for over 26 years in criminal law, administrative law, civil law and family law. In July 2021, Fran retired. In August 2021, the Taliban seized control of the government in Afghanistan. Beginning in 2022, Fran and other judges, retired judges and academics, has been involved with assisting 38 Afghan women judges and their families who were welcomed to Canada as Government Assisted Refugees. These courageous legal pioneers had to escape because their role in re-introducing the rule of law to some areas of Afghanistan made them targets. As a result of her involvement with these women, and particularly the 25 Afghan women judges and their families living in Ontario, Fran has been privileged to collaborate in many ways with the Afghan Women’s Organization. As Executive Director, Adeena Niazi was very welcoming and has made many people and services available in a timely and significant manner to these women and their families.

LUTFIA ATTAIE

Lutfia ATAY holds a Master’s degree in Law and Management, specializing in International Business Development from CNAM University in Paris. With a strong foundation in both legal and managerial disciplines, Lutfia has dedicated her career to impactful, mission-driven work. In 2021, Lutfia co-founded a home-based school initiative in Afghanistan in collaboration with Carol Mann of FEMAid. Recognizing the urgent need for girls’ education, she made the pivotal decision in 2023 to leave her position at the Ministry of Defense and join Nayestane as a Project Manager, following a strategic partnership between FEMAid and Nayestane—two leading non-profit organizations.Since taking on this leadership role, Lutfia has managed and expanded educational programs for girls across Afghanistan. Under her management, the initiative now supports 3,000 students, employs 180 teachers, 17 monitors, and 10 psychologists, and operates in 22 provinces. Her work continues to empower Afghan girls through education, ensuring access to learning and psychosocial support in challenging environments.

MARYAM MONSEF

Maryam Monsef, Founder and CEO of ONWARD, is a sought-after international speaker, facilitator, and strategic advisor. She has dedicated her life to women’s empowerment and equity. She is a dynamic speaker who designs her keynotes and workshops to uplift women and provide them with a toolkit to thrive in their personal and professional lives. Balancing her role as a dedicated mother with her professional commitments, Maryam draws daily inspiration from working moms everywhere. She held various social and economic development files in government. She was President of the Queen’s Privy Council and helped establish and lead Canada’s first full Department focused on Women and Gender Equality. In 2018 and 2019, she was named one of the Top 20 global influencers on gender equality, alongside notable figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Michelle Obama, and Malala Yousafzai. Through her business and volunteer work, she strives to foster a world where women and their families are thriving.

MELLISSA FUNG

Is a veteran journalist, bestselling author and filmmaker. In 2008, as a field correspondent covering Afghanistan for the CBC, she was taken hostage, an experience that led to her #1 bestselling book Under an Afghan Sky. Her story, and those of three Nigerian girls, were the subject of her first feature documentary, Captive, which premiered in 2021 and has been nominated for several major awards. Since leaving the network, Fung has focused on human rights reporting. Her work has been featured in the Globe and Mail, the Huffington Post, the Walrus and the Toronto Star, and on Al Jazeera, CNN, PBS and in other media. She has received numerous awards, including the Gracie Award, a Commonwealth Broadcasting Association award and the New York Festivals Gold and Silver Awards. Fung holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

SAMAR ZAFAR

Dr. Samra Zafar is an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and resident psychiatrist. After escaping a decade of abuse as a child bride in Canada, she went on to pursue her education and became a global advocate for progress. Recognized amongst Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, Samra is a trailblazer, spearheading inclusion and wellness in organizations across the world. She combines scientific research with hard-earned life lessons to share courageous strategies that lead to bold results. Her speaking portfolio includes four TEDx Talks and speeches to leading corporations, non-profits, governmental agencies, and educational institutions. Samra’s work has been extensively featured in both Canadian and International media.

SALLY ARMSTRONG

An award winning author, journalist and human rights activist, she was the 2019 Massey Lecturer. She is a four-time winner of the Amnesty International Canada Media Award. She holds ten honorary doctorate degrees and is an officer of the Order of Canada. Armstrong was the first journalist to bring the story of the women of Afghanistan to the world and is relentless when it comes to exposing the abuse of women whether on an American university campus or a village in a war zone. Michele Landsberg, author of Writing the Revolution describes her this way: “Striding into Taliban-held Afghanistan with a chador over her six-foot frame, playing high-fives with a traumatized child rape survivor in the Congolese jungle, marching with the defiant grandmothers in Swaziland, she explores the darkest reaches of women’s experience and brings back astonishing news of hope, challenge and change. From Tahrir Square to LA, Armstrong discovers that the sisters are doing it for themselves—and revolutionizing the world.” Michele Landsberg, author of Writing the Revolution.