CanWaCH

Health Together - Youth access to contraception in Canada: What happens when cost is removed?
2025-09-29 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
This is a free webinar for the love of learning. No CEU/CPD/PDA

Please join Health Together… for a webinar by Dr. Sarah Munro. The webinar is open to all and free of charge. We host webinars every two months. All welcome!

Please join our mailing list by emailing: mihcancares@gmail.com (link sends e-mail)

Learning Objectives from Webinar:

Discuss the barriers facing youth in Canada who seek or consider contraception care.
Summarize the impacts of a provincial policy in British Columbia to provide free prescription contraception.
Reflect on the role of creative tools in addressing health and social issues.

Dr. Sarah Munro
Sarah Munro, PhD, MA, BA Hon, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health School of Public Health University of Washington and the Director of the Reproductive Choices Lab (www.reprochoiceslab.org). Dr. Munro conducts health services research with a focus on knowledge mobilization and implementation science to understand, What are the factors that influence equitable access to high-quality, culturally-safe, sexual and reproductive health care for equity-deserving populations? She leads several large national and international studies in close partnership with patients, including a community-based investigation to understand youth contraception access in Canada, The Ask Us Project.
Victoria Paller – Co-Presenter

Victoria recently completed her MSc in the Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences Program at UBC, where her thesis focused on youth access to contraception in BC under the supervision of Dr. Sarah Munro and Dr. Laura Schummers. She also holds a BHSc from the University of Ottawa and is passionate about advancing access to sexual and reproductive health through community-engaged research.

Kaiya Jacob – Co-Presenter

Kaiya BBJacob (she/her) is a MSW student at York University, a published scholar, trained doula, community worker, and researcher. Born and raised on unceded Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh territories as settler of mixed Swedish, Irish, German, and Afro-Trinidadian descent, anti-oppression is central to her values and her work. In her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Gender, Sexuality, Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University, she focused on the role of communications in community building and advocacy for Black, racialized, and queer communities.

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Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy After Eight Years: What Have We Learned So Far?
2025-09-29 15:30 - 17:00 | University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Presented by CIPS, the Gender, Peace, and Development Research Network (GPD-RN), the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security and the Group of 78
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) was announced in 2017, followed by several other commitments in support of Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy. For example, “the women, peace and security agenda is at the heart of Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy, which includes the Feminist International Assistance Policy and Defence Policy” (Government of Canada, 2024). After eight years of programming, debates, and multisectoral discussions, it is an important moment for reflection on what we have learned so far from Canada’s FIAP.
This event adds to a rich and detailed analysis of policy rhetoric by focussing on some of the practical experiences of organizations tasked with implementation of programming under the FIAP, as well as critical and analytical insights from scholars and practitioners.
The panel builds on earlier events organized by the Gender, Peace and Development Research Network and the Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) including the April 30, 2025 event by emerging scholars titled “What Can We Learn From How Canada’s FIAP is Landing in Latin America and the Caribbean?”. One of the major themes that emerged from this previous event was the importance of a feminist approach to development as described by the partner organizations in Haiti, Jamaica/CARICOM and Colombia, particularly when combined with a commitment to connecting to local feminist priorities from partner countries. See, also, the June 6, 2025 blog by these presenters.
Other important insights on feminist foreign policy enrich our discussion on Canada’s FIAP including the September 11, 2025 event on Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Challenges and Policy Solutions; the August, 2025 Policy Brief by Lilly Nicholls titled How FIAP Broke Glass Ceilings in Canadian Diplomacy – And Should Go Further; and Beth Woroniuk’s August 21, 2025 analysis: Canada, Financing for Development and Gender Equality: Looking for Leadership.
The Gender, Peace and Development Research Network (as part of the Centre for Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa) and the Group of 78 invite you to join us for this important new conversation where we will reflect on some of the successes of programs funded under FIAP, lessons learned, and priorities for future initiatives.
Attend here!

Webinar Wednesdays: Implementing Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Youth in Specialized Settings
2025-10-01 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 1st, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Implementing Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for Youth in Specialized Settings, featuring Dr. David Lindenbach from the University of Calgary & Hull Services.
Wednesday, October 1st, 2025
2 – 3:30pm EDT
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has the strongest evidence base among psychotherapy programs and is a first-line treatment for many mental health conditions across the lifespan. Accordingly, CBT is commonly used with youth in the child welfare system even though there is little research conducted on CBT in the child welfare system. This talk will highlight the adaptation, implementation and evaluation of transdiagnostic CBT for youth at Hull Services, a non-profit youth mental health provider in Calgary that works with many families in the child welfare system. We discuss modifications made for CBT delivery at Hull Services in: therapeutic campus-based care (aka, residential treatment), a school for students with exceptional needs, and a family-based program for Indigenous peoples.
About the Speaker
David Lindenbach is the Director of Research at Hull Services and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Calgary. He leads a community-based research program that uses transdiagnostic approaches to investigate the prevention and treatment of developmental trauma. The research is problem-focused, so it is designed to improve care locally at Hull Services while providing generalizable research knowledge that moves the whole youth mental health field forward. In less than two years as a new investigator, he has raised over $500,000 in grants as lead applicant, and has developed new lines of research into: implementing CBT and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, co-designing therapeutic recreation programs and supports for the transition to adulthood, and using reflective practice to support staff wellness.
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Webinar Wednesdays: The Atlas Institute’s Co-Designed Resources on Intimate Partner Violence for Veterans and Veteran Family Members
2025-10-08 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 8th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents The Atlas Institute’s Co-Designed Resources on Intimate Partner Violence for Veterans and Veteran Family Members, featuring Petra Babic, Victoria Carmichael, Robin Dziekan, Kaitlyn LaRiviere, and Ashlee Mulligan from the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families.
Wednesday, October 8th, 2025
2-3:30 p.m. EDT
This presentation will introduce the work of the Atlas Institute for Veterans and Families (atlasveterans.ca), a national non-profit that collaborates with Veterans, Families, service providers, and researchers to improve mental health care and supports for Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police Veterans and their Families. It will provide an overview of the Institute’s mission and key activities, then focus on its intimate partner violence (IPV) resources, highlighting the co-design process involving Veterans, Family members, and service providers; summarizing the content and use of each resource with insights from contributors; and briefly outlining other related resources. The session will close with ways to stay informed about ongoing work and a short Q&A.
About the Speakers
Petra Babic is a certified life coach, peer support facilitator, and advocate with over 15 years of experience helping women through life transitions. As an ex-Veteran wife, she understands the unique challenges of military families. She has served as an advisory member for the Atlas Institute’s IPV resources project and supports research to improve IPV services. Her advocacy also addresses single parenting, the long-term effects on children, OSI/PTSI, codependency, social support, and the need for greater recognition of ex-spouses in the Veteran family system. Petra fosters compassionate, empowering spaces that promote healing, connection, and community.
Victoria Carmichael is a Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist at the Atlas Institute. In this role, she collaborates closely with Veterans, Family members, service providers and researchers to share knowledge in meaningful and accessible ways. Victoria’s background encompasses research, community engagement and project management, with a focus on stigma, violence prevention and suicide prevention. She also holds a Master of Science in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the University of Oxford.
Robin Dziekan is a stakeholder engagement professional working for the Atlas Institute. She has a BA in psychology from the University of Ottawa. She is the daughter of two Canadian Armed Forces Veterans – as such, working for a not-for-profit focused on improving the mental health and well-being and Veterans and their Families is of great personal importance to her. Robin has been working in the field of stakeholder engagement for the past seven years. During this time, she has ensured a variety of stakeholder perspectives have been included in projects ranging from health care standards to knowledge mobilization resources
Kaitlyn LaRiviere is a Registered Social Worker and counsellor with over nine years of experience supporting military and Veteran families through the Military Family Resource Centre. She offers compassionate, trauma-informed support for navigating transitions, trauma, and family challenges, with specialized training from the When Love Hurts program and the Battered Women’s Support Services. With a deep understanding of military community stressors, Kaitlyn is committed to fostering resilience, safety, and healing.
Ashlee Mulligan is the Director of Partnerships of Stakeholder Engagement at the Atlas Institute, where she works to promote engagement, collaboration and knowledge exchange, in view of foundationally embedding the lived experience and expertise of Veterans and Veteran Families in the networks we are building and the work we do. Ashlee has a Master of Science (specialization in neuroscience) and a background in women’s studies and psychology.
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Operation Eyesight: World Sight Day
2025-10-09 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Canada
Join the Movement for Equitable Eye Care!
Operation Eyesight Universal, Seva Canada and Orbis Canada invite you to a powerful virtual webinar on the rising global and national demand for eye care. Explore emerging trends in global eye health, access across the life cycle and the role of policy in advancing equity. Learn how you can take action to protect vision and help eliminate avoidable vision loss worldwide.

Thursday, October 9th from 12-1pm EST / 10-11am MT
Register now: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rCKowrONQyaMFgXk91pCTw

Resilience Scale Masterclass
2025-10-14 13:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Tuesday, October 14th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents the Resilience Scale Masterclass, featuring Claire Neihaus from the Palix Foundation.
Tuesday, October 14th, 2025
1pm – 3:30pm EDT
The Resilience Scale Masterclass explores how adversities, positive supports, and acquired skills and abilities interact to influence resilience and impact lifelong health and mental health outcomes. It provides foundational knowledge and a common language that are accessible across populations and disciplines, including policy makers, educators, practitioners, and the public. The Resilience Scale itself acts as a metaphor to communicate key concepts around resilience, and an effective visual tool to facilitate communication about life experiences, identify areas of support for children and families, and build connections to promote capacity for resilience.
About the Speaker
Claire Niehaus is a Scientific Associate with the Palix Foundation. She is a graduate from the University of Lethbridge having received her MSc in Behavioral Neuroscience under the supervision of Dr. Robbin Gibb. An active member of her community, she volunteers with Let’s Talk Science and Building Brains Together, and serves as a Director on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lethbridge and District. Claire joined the Palix Foundation in the summer of 2022 and is passionate about applying her skills and knowledge to build resilience within her community.
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Coffee Hour session, Orbis International's FEH visit to Ghana!
2025-10-15 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual, Canada
“Thriving Together: Supporting Women’s Growth in Eye Health Careers Through Mentorship”
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Join us for a dynamic live virtual session spotlighting the vital role of female mentorship in shaping careers in ophthalmology. Through an engaging discussion, we will explore how mentorship uplifts women to excel in education and lead in teaching and institutional advancement. This session will highlight real-world experiences, and strategies for thriving at every stage of the eye care journey.

Location: Cybersight Platform.
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Date: Wednesday, October 15th
‍Time: 3:00 – 4:00 pm local time, Ghana.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm EST
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See you online!
Attend here!

Webinar Wednesdays: Queer Epistemologies of Violence: Ecological and Liberatory Perspectives
2025-10-15 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 15th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Queer Epistemologies of Violence: Ecological and Liberatory Perspectives, featuring Dr. Jason C. Garvey from the University of Vermont and principal investigator of QTPiE: Queer and Trans People in Education.
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025
2 – 3:30pm EDT
In this session, Dr. Garvey will reframe violence prevention through the lens of queer epistemologies and ecological perspectives, highlighting how violence operates across individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels. Drawing on stories, research insights, and community-driven strategies Jay will explore liberatory approaches that dismantle silos, center minoritized voices, and foster systemic change. Designed for educators, researchers, advocates, and community members, the session offers intersectional perspectives and practical tools to strengthen gender-based and interpersonal violence prevention.
About the Speaker
Dr. Jason C. Garvey is the Executive Director for the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and the Friedman-Hipps Green and Gold Professor of Education at the University of Vermont. As an interdisciplinary researcher, he uses his expertise in student success, teaching and learning, education policy, and statistics to merge data-informed decision making with social change and impact in higher education. Jay is the Principal Investigator for QTPiE: Queer and Trans People in Education, a multi-institutional research team with a mission to educate, advocate, and build coalitions that advance equitable policies and practices for queer and trans people in education. He received his PhD in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Maryland with a certificate in Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation.
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Book Launch – Collaborative Methods: Participatory Data Analysis in Feminist Research
2025-10-16 10:00 - 11:30 | Virtual, Canada
Are you interested in feminist methodologies, participatory research, and collaborative inquiry?
Join authors Kaylan Schwarz, Claudia Mitchell, Mitchell McLarnon, Sarah Flicker, and Geetanjali Gill for a dynamic introduction to their chapters, followed by an open Q&A – a chance to connect with contributors and explore the practical and theoretical aspects of participatory data analysis.
We’re also happy to welcome Pengfei Zhao (McGill University) as a special guest and discussant.
Whether you’re conducting advanced research or just beginning to explore new methodologies, all are welcome!
Register here: https://mcgill.zoom.us/meeting/register/stoijlmHTG-lATMmYz3wuA

Claiming Space, Shifting Power: Campaigns for LGBTQ+ Rights
2025-10-16 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual, Canada
Register for Dignity in Dialogue’s upcoming session on October 16th from 1:00 PM – 2:30PM EDT.
This session spotlights the strategists, organizers, and everyday people taking part in impactful LGBTQ+ rights campaigns that have changed hearts, minds, and policies. Together, we’ll explore how movements have built power, navigated backlash, sustained momentum, and shifted narratives to achieve lasting impact.
Featured speakers:

Fae Johnstone, Canada – Society of Queer Momentum, Canada
Star Rugori, Burundi – Executive Director, MOLI
Mariano Ruiz, Argentina – President, Derechos Humanos y Diversidad Asociación Civil

Open to all, this conversation offers vital lessons for building inclusive, resilient movements in today’s urgent climate. Please share within your networks. There will be simultaneous EN-FR and FR-EN interpretation.
Register here!

Research Mentorship in LMICs
2025-10-17 07:00 - 08:30 | Virtual, Canada
Are you interested in improving research mentorship in low and middle-income countries (LMICs)?

We will go over successful mentoring programs in Ethiopia and Rwanda, case studies compiled by TDR, ways to enhance equity in mentorship, and share open access resources.

The webinar is organized by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the University of Rwanda (UR-CMHS), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and the Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI). If you have any questions, contact Dr. Eneyi Kpokiri at Eneyi.kpokiri@lshtm.ac.uk.

October 17, 2025 | 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM EST | Virtual

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Wellbeing Society Webinar Series Launch
2025-10-17 13:30 - 15:00 | Virtual, Canada
Welcome to the Wellbeing Society Webinar Series Launch!
Join us Friday, October 17, 10:30 AM–12:00 PM (PST) for the launch of PHABC’s Wellbeing Society Webinar Series, building on #PHSI25: Building Wellbeing Societies and Communities. This online kickoff introduces a new platform focused on the real-world challenges and opportunities of creating a Wellbeing society—and the actions needed to get us there. Our opening session will feature reflections on the profound transformations required to put the wellbeing of people and the planet at the heart of governance.
Registration is now open and it is free!
Attend here!

CanWaCH gender equality training: October 2025 French offering
2025-10-21 11:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-22 11:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-24 11:00 - 14:00, 2025-10-31 11:00 - 14:00 | Virtual, Canada
CanWaCH is thrilled to announce the next French offering of our virtual gender equality training sessions! This training is designed to build the confidence and capacity of the CanWaCH membership in delivering gender transformative health programming. Through a series of three modules, delivered across five sessions, participants will learn how to integrate gender transformative approaches into their work.
Sessions will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT on October 21, 22, 24, 28 and 31. Please only register if you can commit to all dates and times.
Learn more and register for the training here
Share with your Francophone colleagues!
*Please note that this is the French offering of our gender equality training. Space is limited to 25 participants. At this time, only two people per organization can register.

Doing Hard Things With Friends: October Virtual Session
2025-10-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Canada
Join Partners In Health Canada for the very first session of our new Reading Club: Doing Hard Things With Friends.
Together, we’ll gather around a short reading (shared in advance) to reflect on global health, solidarity, and what care really means. No prep required beyond the reading.
We’re beginning in October — Paul Farmer’s birthday month — with a story that captures his life and work, setting the tone for what this club is all about.

Everyone is welcome!

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Webinar Wednesdays- Technology Facilitated Sexual Violence: What You Need to Know
2025-10-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 22nd, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Technology Facilitated Sexual Violence: What You Need to Know, featuring Kaitlynn Mendes from DIY: Digital Safety.
Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025
2 – 3:30pm EDT
This webinar will introduce the topic of technology facilitated sexual violence (TFSV), explain why we are moving to this language and away from older terms like cyberbullying when it comes to practices like non-consensual intimate image sharing, creating deepfake nudes, and cyberflashing. The webinar will also cover some key laws (civil and criminal) that relate to TFSV, go over some key technological supports, and share some do’s and don’ts when talking to and supporting youth experiencing TFSV.
About the Speaker
Dr. Kaitlynn Mendes is a Sociology Professor at Western University. She also holds the Canada Research Chair in Inequality and Gender and leads the study DIY: Digital Safety. She is an expert on digital technologies and the benefits and drawbacks they play in young people’s lives.
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GISF: Documentary filmmaking with Leena Minifie
2025-10-24 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual, Canada
Interested in documentary filmmaking? Sign up for our session with Leena Minifie! Leena (Gitxaala/British) is a Vancouver-based film and television producer and a co-founder of Ricochet Media. As a journalist she worked at CBC Radio One and APTN National News. She reported from Standing Rock and the Pickton trial, and broke the Queen of the North story. She produced LILY GLADSTONE: FAR OUT THERE (PBS) and BRITISH COLUMBIA – AN UNTOLD HISTORY (Knowledge). Leena’s directorial debut is the newly released investigative feature documentary THE GOOD CANADIAN (CBC/APTN).
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Gender Transformative Framework for Nutrition: Practical Insights and Tools
2025-10-29 07:30 - 09:00 | Virtual, Canada
Join us to explore how gender-transformative work is driving real impact in nutrition and health. This webinar will feature practical country examples from CARE Canada and Save the Children Canada, showcasing how the Gender Transformative Framework for Nutrition (GTFN) and the Systems-Based Thinking (SBT) tool are being applied in South Sudan and Yemen to strengthen equity, inclusion, and resilience.

Through case presentations and a panel discussion with implementing partners and members of the GTFN co-creation group, participants will gain insights into what gender-transformative programming looks like in practice – and how it can shift systems, empower communities, and improve outcomes for women, men, and marginalized groups.

Participants will gain:

A clear understanding of why gender-transformative approaches matter for nutrition and health outcomes.
Practical knowledge of how to apply GTFN and SBT tools in diverse contexts.
Lessons learned and examples from South Sudan and Yemen that can inform their own work.
Insights into what it takes to turn gender commitments into meaningful action across contexts.

The webinar will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation in French and Arabic.
Attend here!

Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition: SHAPE Hub Grand Rounds
2025-10-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Canada
SHAPE is a pan-Canadian initiative working to break the silence around sexual health and genito-pelvic pain. Their mission is to close gaps in care by promoting evidence-based knowledge, inclusivity, and culturally sensitive approaches.
Join us on October 29 at 12 p.m. EDT to learn, connect, and engage in conversation around a topic that is often overlooked in health care.
Attend here!

Webinar Wednesdays: Mothers in Mind- Strengthening the Mother-Child Relationship After Trauma
2025-10-29 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, October 29th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Mothers in Mind: Strengthening the Mother-Child Relationship After Trauma, featuring Lisa Sura and Sarah Woods from the Child Development Institute (CDI).
Wednesday, October 29th, 2025
2 – 3:30pm EDT
Experiences of relational trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, and intimate partner violence, can influence a mother’s parenting, her relationship with her young child, and her sense of herself as a parent. Developed by CDI in response to a recognized gap in service, Mothers in Mind® (MIM) is a trauma-informed, therapeutic mother-child group program designed for mothers* of infants and toddlers who have experienced relational trauma.
This webinar will introduce MIM’s early intervention, child-centred approach, demonstrating how the program builds on parenting strengths, fosters healthy mother-child connections, and supports mothers in practicing self-compassion while developing strategies for sensitive and responsive caregiving. Adaptations of the model and findings from program evaluation will also be discussed.
About the Speakers
Lisa Sura, MSW, RSW is the Senior Clinical Program Lead at Child Development Institute (CDI), an accredited child and youth mental health agency in Toronto. Lisa has over 20 years of experience in developing and implementing innovative intervention and prevention services within the children’s mental health, child protection and gender-based violence sectors. Lisa is the co-creator and clinical lead of Mothers in Mind, a trauma-informed, therapeutic mother-child group program specifically designed to meet the parenting needs of mothers who have experienced relational trauma and have children under four.
Sarah Woods, PhD, is the Director, Impact & Scaling in the Scaling, Research and Development at CDI. Her research focuses on aggression and disruptive behaviours in children, gender-based violence, risk assessment, youth justice, implementation science, program evaluation and evidence-based programs. As a Senior Researcher, Sarah leads the monitoring and evaluation of CDI’s programs and services to monitor program effectiveness and treatment outcomes. She also supports the implementation of a comprehensive children’s mental health and crime prevention framework, SNAP, that includes referral mechanisms, risk/need assessments and evidence-based programs.
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End Violence Everywhere – Path to Justice
2025-11-04 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Tuesday, November 4th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents End Violence Everywhere – Path to Justice, featuring Cait Alexander from End Violence Everywhere.
Tuesday, November 4th, 2025
2 – 3:30 p.m. EDT
Join End Violence Everywhere for a powerful and engaging webinar featuring survivor and advocate Cait Alexander. Cait will share her story, experiences, and insights on resilience, justice, and the urgent need to end gender-based violence in Canada. This session will highlight the systemic barriers survivors face and explore pathways to meaningful reform in Canada.
About the Speaker
Cait Alexander blends her personal journey of survival with a multifaceted career in the entertainment industry to fuel transformative advocacy. Based in LA, but hailing from Canada, Cait is Founder and CEO of End Violence Everywhere. She has built a groundbreaking platform offering direct survivor support, legislative reform, public awareness, and coalition-led community building.
Through powerful storytelling and fearless policy engagement, Cait continues to push toward a future where all survivors feel safe, seen, and supported with the hopes of eradicating violence once and for all.
With a background in the arts, Cait is not only an advocate but also an actress, singer, model, composer, poet, and storyteller. She leverages her creative talents to amplify survivor voices and create meaningful change through narrative and media.
She has released songs to acclaim about her abuse and is currently working on a documentary with a major streaming service about her own nearly lethal experience with IPV and SA. She was nearly killed by her ex-partner in Toronto in 2021, wherein she was forced to move away to save her life, as her case was thrown out and her abuser free without consequence.
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Webinar Wednesdays- Innovations in Intimate Partner Violence Research: Centering Lived Experience in Capacity-Building and Large-Scale Projects
2025-11-05 14:00 - 15:30 | Virtual, Canada
Join us on Wednesday, November 5th, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Innovations in Intimate Partner Violence Research: Centering Lived Experience in Capacity-Building and Large-Scale Projects, featuring Dr. N. Zoe Hilton, Dr. Elnaz Moghimi, Elke Ham, Sevil Deljavan, Jaden Chong, and Nikoo Aghaei from Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care.
Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
2 – 3:30pm EDT
This webinar, hosted by the Waypoint Research Institute, will highlight innovative research and capacity-building initiatives addressing intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts. Presenters will share findings from recent and ongoing projects that partnered with people with lived experience, including the IPV Service Study, the RESPECT study (Research framework for Engaging intimate partner violence Survivors as Partners in Empowering Collaborative Transformation), arts- and design-based approaches to knowledge mobilization, and the Government of Ontario–funded MHAV-HEARTS (Mental Health Anti-Violence Hub for Empowerment, Advocacy, Resilience, and Trauma Support) project. Together, these initiatives reflect a commitment to participatory research, collaboration across disciplines, and the development of tools and practices that support professionals, empower communities, and improve outcomes for those affected by IPV.
About the Speakers
Dr. N. Zoe Hilton is the Research Chair in Forensic Mental Health at Waypoint and a Professor at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Dalla Lana School of Public Health. A fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, she has spent 35 years at Waypoint as a clinician and researcher. Her work focuses on justice-involved individuals, intimate partner violence (IPV) risk assessment, and trauma among psychiatric workers. She led the development of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) and currently leads the SSHRC-funded CELIA IPV project, expanding IPV risk assessment to new populations. She holds degrees from the Universities of Southampton, Cambridge, and Toronto.
Dr. Elnaz Moghimi joined Waypoint Research Institute as a research scientist in early 2023. A health scientist by training, Elnaz holds a PhD in Kinesiology and Health Science. Her graduate work focused on compulsive overeating, eHealth interventions, and the treatment experiences of women with binge eating disorder. Subsequent to her PhD, she joined Queen’s University Online Psychotherapy Lab, where she focused on online mental health interventions in a myriad of populations. Her current work focuses on lived experience partnerships and services development for individuals impacted by intimate partner violence.
Elke Ham is the Research Psychometrist at Waypoint and Project Coordinator of ODARA 101. With 15 years of research experience, she has co-authored 35 peer-reviewed articles and numerous knowledge translation products. Her work focuses on intimate partner violence, risk assessment, clinical outcomes, and workplace trauma. As a Certified ODARA Trainer, she leads ODARA 101—an e-learning program that has trained over 15,000 professionals worldwide. Elke also serves as Director and past Board Chair of the Community Legal Clinic of Simcoe, Haliburton, and Kawartha Lakes.
Sevil Deljavan is a Research Coordinator at the Waypoint Research Institute with a Master’s in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences from Western University. Her work focuses on lived expertise and participatory research, including child protection and high-conflict families. At Waypoint, she leads engagement for a Government of Ontario–funded project on intimate partner violence (IPV) in mental health contexts, advancing equitable, patient-oriented research and policy.
Jaden Chong is a recent graduate student who completed her Masters in the Design for Health Program at OCAD University. She has also completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences at Toronto Metropolitan University, and has completed a certificate program with the University of British Columbia in Biomedical Visualization and Communication. Jaden is very passionate about finding ways to integrate design and art within the healthcare space. Her research interests include Health Design, Knowledge Mobilization and Arts-based Research.
Nikoo Aghaei is a third-year medical student at Queen’s University passionate about the intersection of healthcare, innovation, and design. She has led initiatives promoting women’s empowerment and community engagement and holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees in psychology and biochemistry from McMaster University. In her free time, she enjoys volleyball and making art.
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Hopper Lecture 2025 - Fostering Societal Growth
2025-11-11 16:00 - 18:00 | Hybrid, Canada
In 2025, Barbados enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which came just three months after the government introduced a seven-year policy aimed at addressing the needs of persons with disabilities. As contemporary development faces social, economic, political, and environmental challenges, it is essential for any society striving to achieve its goals to vigorously promote the inclusion of all its members.
Guest speaker:
Ms. Kerryann Ifill is a well-known Barbadian activist who has ceaselessly promoted the rights of people with disabilities. Since losing her vision at the age of four, the 50-year-old has gone on to become the youngest person and first woman to be appointed President of the Barbados Senate. This was after becoming the first person with vision loss to complete a University of the West Indies degree (with Honours) at UWI’s Cave Hill campus, before completing a Master of Business Administration and postgraduate diploma in Special Education.
Ms. Ifill has been one of the premier advocates for the adoption of assistive technology for children with special needs, from primary through tertiary levels. She has been instrumental in preparing Barbados’ educational institutions to receive visually impaired students, one of whom went on to become Barbados’s first blind attorney-at-law. She has also served the wider disabled community of the Caribbean by advancing a more inclusive agenda regionally. She has served as President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, President of the Barbados National United Society of the Blind, President of the Caribbean Council for the Blind, and Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum. Her colleagues and admirers say that her advocacy has been so powerful it has created a ripple effect, encouraging others to work towards a more equitable and compassionate world.
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Innovative and Sustainable Financing of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Strengthening Advocacy Capacity Webinar
2025-11-12 08:00 - 10:00 | Virtual, Canada
Access to quality sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is essential for advancing gender equality, improving public health, and fostering sustainable development. Yet, financing for SRHR remains a critical challenge, with growing needs, limited resources, and recent funding cuts that threaten hard-won progress. To address this gap, strong and effective advocacy is key – advocacy that can mobilize political will, attract innovative funding, and ensure long-term sustainability.
This capacity strengthening event brings together advocates, decision-makers, and stakeholders to share strategies, build skills, enhance collaboration, and explore practical solutions to advance a progressive agenda on SRHR. By strengthening advocacy capacity, we aim to equip stakeholders with the tools to secure innovative and sustainable financing that can transform SRHR commitments into real impact for communities worldwide.
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Finding calm during chaos: Radio's role when disasters strike
2025-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual, Canada
As extreme weather events grow more frequent and severe across Africa, radio serves as a lifeline for those most at risk.
Reliable systems to warn communities before disasters strike are still limited in many rural areas. Communities are working to find innovative ways to share alerts that help people prepare for and respond to emergencies.
This town hall will explore how Farm Radio International and its partners are working together to strengthen early warning systems through radio and mobile phone. You’ll learn how these initiatives operate and what it takes to build sustainable communication systems that support local action before disasters.
Join us to learn how collaboration and communication are helping communities find calm amid chaos and how your support contributes to building resilience in the face of climate challenges.
How radio saves lives and livelihoods during emergencies.
When: Nov 12, 2025 12:00 PM ET | 9:00 AM PST
Where: Zoom
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Thriving in safety: advancing adolescent health and rights & ending gender-based violence in Central and West Africa
2025-11-13 07:30 - 09:00 | Virtual, Canada
As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, the IDRC invests in high-quality research in low- and middle-income countries, shares knowledge with researchers and policymakers for greater uptake and use, and mobilizes global alliances to build a more sustainable and inclusive world.

This webinar series provides a platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing experiences, and fostering dialogue on effective policies and practices, and multi-stakeholder engagement to tackle GBV and advance adolescent SRHR in Central and West Africa.

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Master of Development Practice and Global Justice (MDPGJ) program
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid, Canada
The MDPGJ is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare future leaders to address the world’s most complex development and justice challenges. Through an integrated approach that connects theory, practice, and policy, students gain the skills and experience needed to make a meaningful impact locally and globally.
Join us to learn more about the program’s structure, areas of study, and opportunities for applied learning. The session will also provide an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from faculty members involved in the program.
Information Session Details:
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
Format: Hybrid (attend in person- MCKN 019 or online via Microsoft Teams)
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Grad School Info Session: Master of Development Practice and Global Justice
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid, Canada
The Guelph Institute of Development Studies is pleased to launch a new course-based, 8-month graduate program, the Master of Development Practice and Global Justice.
Join us for an info session where we’ll introduce the new program, break down the application process, and share tips on strengthening your application to grad school.
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