2020 A Vision for the Inclusion of Isolated Mothers in Canada

OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Dr. Alaa Murabit, Physician, Advocate, Feminist, Strategist, Speaker Write

Dr. Annette Korntheuer, Professor and Researcher

Gauri Sawant, Director, Sakshi Char Chowgi and Transgender Activist

Ketty Nivyabandi, Human Rights Defender, Poet, and Advocate

Honourable Marion Buller, Provincial Court Judge (Ret.), Former Chief Commissioner for the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)

Dr. Miriam Westheimer, Director, HIPPY International

CONFERENCE FORMAT:

• 6 Keynote Speaker Presentations

• 20 stories of inspiration from women across Canada

• Expert panels

• Opportunities for networking and creating valuable connections.

The goal of the conference is to deepen delegates’ understanding of personal and community change by learning from the experiences of mothers who have overcome barriers of isolation and the knowledge of experts in various disciplines.

Each session will start with a keynote speaker who will share their observations, experiences, and insight into unleashing the power of isolated mothers as a force for change.

Indigenous, newcomer, refugee, and other Canadian mothers will tell their own stories using a variety of formats, and share how they have become agents of change, transforming their lives by increasing their social and economic inclusion, gaining access to adequate health care, improving their food security, ensuring the success of their children in school, and more. Fueled by their vision for a bright future and their determination to build it, these mothers have, against formidable odds, forged a path to a better life for themselves, their families, and their communities.

The presentations will be followed by plenary sessions and group discussions that will build upon the mothers’ stories and identify important strategies for change.