About US

Beheshta Jaghori, is currently serving as the Vice President of the Board of Directors at the Afghan Women’s Organization. Beheshta Jaghori is a doctoral candidate, completing the last year of a PhD program in Counselling Psychology at McGill University. She has a Masters degree in psychology from the University of British Columbia and an Honours Bachelor of Science in the same field from the University of Toronto.

Beheshta’s academic and clinical interests focus on women’s mental health and cross-cultural counselling. Her PhD research looks at intergenerational effects of war among the youth of Afghan descent. She is currently completing her doctoral internship at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. She is a clinical associate at the New Leaf Psychology Centre. Beheshta’s non-academic pursuits include work with non-governmental organizations on gender issues, economic development, and the promotion of peace both in Afghanistan and the diaspora. She takes pride in her involvement with the Afghan Women’s Organization, which spans more than a decade.

Huria Jalalzai, has a Masters degree in Public Policy and Administration from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. She is currently working as a Senior Advisor at the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development and since 2008 has worked with other ministries for both the provincial and federal government.

In 2012, Huria travelled to Kabul, Afghanistan to support the Masters degree program in Public Policy & Administration implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the University of Massachusetts through the Afghanistan Higher Education Project. This experience strengthened her conviction that little things make a big difference and she strives to stay active in her community here in Toronto and abroad in order to bring about positive change.

Mashal Siddiqi, is mother of five children.   She is holding university degrees from faculty of the Literature Kabul University.   After completing her higher education, she worked as a teacher at a girl’s high school.

During war her family move to Mazar-e-Sharif North of Afghanistan.   There she got job at CFDO (Community Fora Development Organization) one of United Nation’s supported organization where she gained experience in working with communities specially women.  She continued her work during the Taliban.   After 9/11 she worked with several nongovernmental organizations, including UNICEF, UN-Habitat.  She also worked with the Ministry of Education, Constitution Commission and Ministry of foreign Affairs in Kabul. In Canada she graduated from gorge brown college – Assaulted Women and Children counselor program with college Diploma. She supported AWO as a volunteer in administration section and Food Bank Program.

Abeda Baluch, is an active member of the immigrant and refugee Community. She is the mother of four children, three sons and one daughter. She has over 20 years of experience in media, including TV and radio broadcasting.

Abeda has served as a Balochi language host on All India Radio for 18 years. Currently, Abeda is assisting local media in Toronto.

She has also served the AWO Board and remains an active, dedicated volunteer at the organization.

Nasimeh Bayat, immigrated to Canada in May of 2000 with my two kids and brother, settling down in the city of Brandon, Manitoba. Shortly after her arrival, she first started working at a nursing home for the elderly, and then moved on to acquiring a second job at a regional health center where she worked for a duration of 6 years.

In 2008, her family and I moved to Toronto, where she secured employment at a walk-in clinic. Currently, she is working part-time as RPN nurse at the Grace Hospital and also managing two walk-in clinics.

She is the mother of two sons.

The updated bio is coming soon.

Parween Pazhwak, has graduated from Abu Ali Sina-e-Balkhi Medical Institute in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is a writer, a poet and children’s rights advocate.

Following the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, she spent two years in Pakistan as a refugee before moving to Canada in 1994. She is married and has 4 children.

Parween considers the best time in her life to be her days as a student and life in exile to be among her most difficult times. Her works of literature include modern poetry, short stories, and paintings for children. She has published 14 books and two of her most famous published books are Darya dar Shabnam (River in Dew) and Negin-ha wa Setara-ha (Gems and Stars).

She is an active, dedicated volunteer with many organizations, including the Afghan Women’s Organization. She worked as an intake worker in AWO Mississauga location, before moving to Prague, Czech Republic. Currently, she lives with her family in Toronto.

The updated bio is coming soon.

Kobra Rasul, was first introduced to the Afghan Women’s Organization as a client in 1998 when she came as a refugee to Canada. She is a busy mother of four children. Kobra is a good role model for other refugees. She raised well educated children who contribute positively in Canadian Society.

Kobra has volunteered extensively in the newcomer’s community and particularly with the Afghan Women’s Organization by assisting in the organization of events and conferences. She is well trained and established member of the Catering Group and a role model for newcomer women.

Sheba Sheranze, has an educational and work background revolving around the financial services industry in customer service and finance the public sector. Sheba completedher Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Toronto in 2008. She is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA).

She is in the process of completing her Certified Management Accountant designation. While in school, she was VP Finance for the U of T Afghan Student Body. Her work includes several positions at Scotia bank and within the federal government she is currently a Citizen Service Officer at Employment Insurance Canada. Sheba is fluent in English, Farsi, Hindi, Baluchi & Dari.

Zohra Safi is a Toronto-based lawyer and she primarily works in the fields of Canadian refugee and immigration law and human rights. Zohra holds a Law degree from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in Canada and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Women and Gender Studies from Middlebury College in the United States. During her time at Middlebury, Zohra’s interest in conflict resolution led her to enroll in a semester-long course on the subject at the American University in Washington, D.C. This experience allowed her to gain knowledge about the theoretical and practical aspects of peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Zohra describes herself as a lifelong learner who is always open to acquiring new knowledge, adapting to new situations, and embracing innovation. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time in nature with her family, indulging in a good book, and embarking on travels to explore new cultures and places.

The updated bio is coming soon.