Practicing Knowledge Translation course – 2 spots left!
2025-10-27 - 2025-10-30 | Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1X3, Canada
Join us for this in-person workshop from October 27-30, 2025 at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute in Toronto, Ontario.
The Practicing Knowledge Translation (PKT) course is a professional development course that will show you how to apply KT science to real-world implementation projects in order to enhance and sustain project outcomes. The course focuses on empowering individuals and organizations in the health system with the knowledge, skills and support to do KT effectively.
At the course’s conclusion, participants will have a ready-to-use Implementation Action Plan, tailored to their project. This in-person course will also provide valuable networking opportunities.
Interested in joining? Email Meghan.Storey@UnityHealth.to or apply now!
Find more details here: https://bit.ly/PKTcourse

Gender Transformative Framework for Nutrition: Practical Insights and Tools
2025-10-29 07:30 - 09:00 (America/Toronto) | 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 (America/Toronto) | 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 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

CanWaCH gender equality training: October 2025 French offering
2025-10-31 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | 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.

HRN Sphere Training: Ottawa
2025-11-03 - 2025-11-04 | Cooperation Canada offices, 123 Slater Street, Suite 800, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4, Canada
Sphere Training 2025
For HRN and Non-HRN Members | November 3rd – 4th (Ottawa, in English)
(In-person trainings – attend one location only)
Join us for a two-day, in-person training, tailored for HRN members, designed to strengthen understanding of the Sphere Standards​ and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)​. This session will be facilitated by qualified trainers who previously completed the Sphere Training of Trainers program organized by HRN.
Topics covered include:

Overview of Sphere Standards and their practical application
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) principles and integration
Conducting a Sphere training needs assessment for HRN members
Guidance on facilitating future Sphere and CHS sessions

Date: November 3rd – 4th (In-person, Ottawa)
Time: 9am – 5pm each day
Location:

Ottawa: Cooperation Canada offices, 123 Slater Street, Suite 800, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4

Audience: HRN members (staff in Canada and overseas), Canadian NGO staff, and students in humanitarian/development fields
This training is ideal for those new to the Sphere standards or looking to refresh and deepen their understanding. Participants will leave equipped to apply these essential frameworks in their work—and may also be prepared to support future training efforts.
Fee:

$200 CAD for HRN members
$400 CAD for non-members
(Includes training materials and the Sphere Handbook.)

Important:

Registrants will access pre-course online modules, to be identified by facilitators, and must attend all sessions.
If fewer than 10 people are signed up for either training by October 5th, that training will be postponed. We’ll notify all registrants directly with updates.
Some travel grants are available – please email us at hrncoordinator@humanitarianresponse.ca for more details.

Registration required – open to HRN members, Canadian NGOs, and humanitarian students.

End Violence Everywhere – Path to Justice
2025-11-04 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

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 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

The Global Health Activism We Need
2025-11-05 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Toronto) | Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, Room: La Truteau, 426 Rue Saint Gabriel, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2Z9, Canada
What to Expect: Montreal
An evening of conversation, advocacy, and community
Join us in Montreal and Toronto for an inspiring evening with South African activist Zackie Achmat, recipient of McGill University’s inaugural Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Dr. Wesler Lambert, Executive Director of Partners In Health / Zanmi Lasante in Haiti and, in Toronto only, Dr. Adrienne Chan.
The program begins with a Q&A on his decades of activism and today’s urgent challenges in HIV care and global health. A casual catered reception follows, offering the chance to connect with PIH leaders, advocates, and the health equity community.
Attend here!

Night for Rights Gala
2025-11-05 17:00 - 21:00 (America/Toronto) | Arcadian Court, 401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2Y4, Canada
An Inspiring Evening in Celebration of Human Rights Journalism

Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Arcadian Court, Toronto

5pm Cocktail Reception | 6pm Gala Dinner | 8pm After-party
More details to come.
Learn more here!

McGill Global Health Night
2025-11-06 16:30 - 19:30 (America/Toronto) | SSMU University Centre, Canada
Join us for the 17th annual Global Health Night, one of McGill’s flagship events in global health. This year, we are honoured to welcome South Africa’s Zackie Achmat as our keynote speaker. As the first recipient of the Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Mr. Achmat will deliver the inaugural Paul Farmer Lecture for Global Health Equity.
Whether you attend in person or online, don’t miss this inspiring evening filled with global health insights, innovation, and community. Open to the public, the program includes a student poster fair, showcasing projects, clinical rotations, and research from across McGill’s diverse student body, Mr. Achmat’s lecture and more. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
Zackie Achmat is a lifelong socialist and activist who began his political journey during the 1976 student uprisings against apartheid. Detained and tortured as a teenager, he was later recruited into the banned ANC while imprisoned and joined its Marxist Workers’ Tendency in 1985. Diagnosed with HIV in 1990, Zackie became a pioneering advocate for health and human rights. He co-founded the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality in 1994 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in 1998, playing a key role in securing access to HIV treatment. He has worked with global organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières and the WHO, and helped found movements such as Equal Education, the Social Justice Coalition, Ndifuna Ukwazi, and #UniteBehind. These initiatives fight for justice, political accountability, and social equality. Most recently, he co-founded the Global Coalition for HIV Treatment to resist devastating PEPFAR cuts. His activism is rooted in justice, dignity, and freedom.
Attend here!

The Global Health Activism We Need: Toronto
2025-11-07 17:00 - 19:30 (America/Toronto) | Alliance Française, Spadina Campus, 24 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2S7, Canada
What to Expect
An evening of conversation, advocacy, and community
Join us in Montreal and Toronto for an inspiring evening with South African activist Zackie Achmat, recipient of McGill University’s inaugural Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Dr. Wesler Lambert, Executive Director of Partners In Health / Zanmi Lasante in Haiti and, in Toronto only, Dr. Adrienne Chan.
The program begins with a Q&A on his decades of activism and today’s urgent challenges in HIV care and global health. A casual catered reception follows, offering the chance to connect with PIH leaders, advocates, and the health equity community.
Attend here!

Hopper Lecture 2025 - Fostering Societal Growth
2025-11-11 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

Innovative and Sustainable Financing of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Strengthening Advocacy Capacity Webinar
2025-11-12 08:00 - 10:00 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

Finding calm during chaos: Radio's role when disasters strike
2025-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | 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
Attend here!

Thriving in safety: advancing adolescent health and rights & ending gender-based violence in Central and West Africa
2025-11-13 07:30 - 09:00 (America/Toronto) | 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.

Attend here!

Master of Development Practice and Global Justice (MDPGJ) program
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | 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)
Attend here!

Grad School Info Session: Master of Development Practice and Global Justice
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Toronto) | 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.
Attend here!

The GEM Hub Town Hall 2025
2025-11-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
During this Town Hall, we’re turning the spotlight over to our GEM Hub members – they’ll be presenting on our Knowledge Mobilization activities, sharing their experiences and insights from their unique perspectives as working group members who were deeply involved in the co-creation process. We feel very fortunate to have their voices leading this event, and we would love for you to join us!
Attend here!

Global Reads - AKFC's Book Club x GCP (November Edition)
2025-11-13 16:00 - 17:30 (America/Toronto) | The Global Centre for Pluralism, 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 0C7, Canada
Join Global Reads for books, discussions, and meaningful connections! This event will take place at the Global Centre for Pluralism.
Join Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Global Centre for Pluralism in-person for a special edition of Global Reads featuring acclaimed journalist and author Lyse Doucet, in conversation about her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul.
Drawing on four decades as one of the BBC’s most trusted voices from conflict zones, Lyse Doucet offers a deeply human portrait of Afghanistan’s complex history, told through the lens of a once-grand hotel and the people whose lives intersect within it.
In this session, Lyse will be joined by Meredith Preston McGhie, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism, for a conversation on the power of literature to build understanding and empathy across divides. Together, they will reflect on storytelling as a means of connecting across cultures, histories, and identities — and what it reveals about our shared humanity.
If you are passionate about global affairs, storytelling, and the role of empathy in a divided world, this event is for you.
Copies of The Finest Hotel in Kabul will be available for purchase.
This event is in-person only, and will take place at the Global Centre for Pluralism.
Please note that this event will be offered in English.
Attend here!

Pathways to Gender Equality: Real Stories, Shared Futures
2025-11-15 09:30 - 16:30 (America/Toronto) | Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina, 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3A4, Canada
Join us for this year’s Volunteer Conference will shine a light on Equity in International Volunteerism. Together, we will explore how volunteer stories, lived experiences, and partnerships are creating pathways to gender equality and building more inclusive futures.
Through powerful keynote speeches, interactive panels, and hands-on workshops, attendees will hear directly from volunteers and local partner organizations about concrete actions that have advanced gender equality and supported our Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) goals.
This is also an opportunity to recognize exceptional alumni through our Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
*This event will take place primarily in English, with bilingual interpretation available.
Lunch is provided, as well as some giveaways and contests!
Attend here!

A Hunger for Change: A Canadian Call to End Malnutrition
2025-11-15 14:30 - 17:00 (America/Toronto) | Holiday Inn and Suites Surrey East, 17530 64 Avenue, British Columbia, Canada
Where you live should not determine whether you live. Join Results Canada for an engaging event on the role of Canada—and people like you—in ending the malnutrition crisis currently threatening the lives of millions of children around the world. Learn, connect, and take action to help ensure every child has the nutrition they need to survive and thrive, no matter where they were born.

Canada’s leadership in global nutrition has never been more critical. Malnutrition stunts growth, limits learning, weakens immune systems, and can lead to death, especially in children under 5. Nutrition is one of the most cost-effective solutions to reducing child mortality and the foundation of global health, stability, and economic resilience—which benefits us all.
We’re bringing together experts, volunteers, and the public to explore what’s urgently needed to end malnutrition. Do not miss this opportunity to connect with others fighting for a better world, learn from a unique panel session with local and national specialists in the field, and take concrete action to urge Canada to continue to step up for global nutrition.
The panel will include:

Jet Takaoka from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Anne Gardner from the Grandmothers’ Advocacy Network
Gabriel Cassie from Results Canada

Spots are limited: register now and take a step closer to a better world.
Results Canada is a non-partisan advocacy organization that mobilizes everyday Canadians to generate the political will to end extreme poverty.
For more information, contact us at action@resultscanada.ca.
Attend here!

CanWaCH 2025 Annual General Meeting
2025-11-17 11:00 - 12:30 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
We are pleased to invite you to this year’s Annual General Meeting of members for the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) taking place Monday, November 17 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST. This is your opportunity as a CanWaCH member to engage in the direction and operations of the organization and the future of our great partnership.
The AGM is virtual and will feature key CanWaCH strategic and operational updates during the business meeting followed by an inspiring keynote speaker and a dynamic conversation between sector leaders.
REGISTER HERE FOR THE AGM

Global Health Spotlight Series - In Conversation
2025-11-18 15:00 - 16:00 (America/Toronto) | BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, room 2108, 938 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
Welcome to the Global Health Spotlight Series – In Conversation!
Hosted by the Institute for Global Health at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.
Join us as we explore Matthew’s journey to becoming a global health leader—highlighting his defining moments, lessons learned, and current projects.
Learning Objectives:

Explore how researchers’ unique journeys have shaped their current projects and the strategies they use to create equitable partnerships
Understand the “what” but also the “why” behind their chosen methods and models, including key decision-points, challenges and adjustments made along the way
Learn about opportunities to leverage resources and foster new collaborations and partnerships

When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST
Where: In-Person at Room 2108 BCCHR (across from the Chan Centre for Family Health Education auditorium), BC Children’s Hospital
Ticket Cost: Free
Lunch will be provided for registered participants.
Our fourth speaker in this series is Dr. Matthew Wiens, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Director of Pediatric Research at Walimu, a Ugandan health research institute, and lead of the Healthy Starts Global Health and Innovation Group at BCCHR. He is an epidemiologist and public health researcher with a strong focus on pediatric sepsis, digital health, and health systems strengthening. For the past 14 years, he has led a series of studies aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a risk-stratified care approach, called Smart Discharges, to improve discharge and post-discharge care among children, newborns and mothers in East Africa. His collaborative research program engages researchers, healthcare professionals, technology developers. and policy-makers globally, including collaborations with the Uganda Ministry of Health, Pediatric Sepsis Definition Taskforce, and WHO Risk-Stratified Care Working Group.
Dr. Gina Ogilvie, is the Co-Executive Medical Director of the Institute for Global Health BCCWH. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Control of HPV related diseases and prevention, and Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Population and Public Health. She is also Senior Public Health Scientist at BC Centre for Disease Control and Senior Research Advisor at the BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre.
Reserve your spot now!

Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Justice: Finding our Feet; Standing our Ground
2025-11-18 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Toronto) | Hybrid, Canada
2025 John R. Evans Lectureship in Global Health

Keynote Speaker: Alicia Ely Yamin
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 4 – 6 PM ET (followed by a reception in person)
Location: Hybrid

There may be no area in which applying human rights to health has been more successful than sexual and reproductive rights. Not only have we changed norms over the last thirty plus years, but we have also transformed institutional practices and affected embodied human beings’ lives and well-being. However, we now face a sweeping anti-gender politics across the world. Anti-‘Gender Ideology’ has become a key rhetorical tool in the construction of a new conception of ‘common sense’ about what is normal and legitimate, and it is linked rhetorically to a backlash against neoliberal globalization. Because of the US role in global health financing and governance, and its influence on the world order more broadly, the Trump administration’s anti-gender actions have had far reaching and devastating consequences. But the Trump administration is not unique. Further, even before Trump was inaugurated for a second time, the evolving political economy of global health had limited the effective enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights in practice for swathes of people across the globe. Drawing on specific examples from work done in countries around the world, this talk will discuss what we have achieved in applying human rights to sexual and reproductive health, where human rights approaches have fallen short, and where we might go now.

Attend here!

Clinical Talk: The latest in HIV PrEP and PEP
2025-11-19 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
The Frameworks, Values & Rights / Activating Equity in Health Research (on AEHR) talk series offers an opportunity for experts to teach about the core frameworks and values of the Women-Centred HIV Care Hub, including their application to women’s health and the realms of research, academia, medicine, and community. On AEHR talks present a podcast-style session where one to two guest experts share their perspectives, applications, and future steps in advancing equity in health research. ​
The Mentoring Future Leaders: Insights and Dialogue sessions feature established leaders in women’s health who share mentorship insights, their career journeys, and pearls of wisdom, followed by audience discussion and Q&A.​
The Clinical Talks series provides a space for candid conversation around clinical topics related to the field of women, HIV, and health. The discussions are led by clinical researchers and health care providers, beginning with an informative presentation on the topic and closing with an open Q&A to spotlight community concerns.
Learn more here!

National Meeting 2025
2025-11-20 12:00 - 15:30 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
We’re excited to invite you to the 2025 AVA National Meeting on Thursday, November 20th – a chance to connect, collaborate, and be inspired by the incredible work happening across our national network.
This year’s meeting is co-hosted with AVA Community Agency Partners Andrea Silverstone and Carrie McManus from Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society – the visionary authors of Innovation at the Back of the Bus.
Andrea and Carrie’s insights will inspire all of us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in our collective work to address gender-based violence and support lasting change.
This year’s meeting will also feature Jennifer Collins, AVA Early Career Researcher and member of the AVA Leads Committee; Sarah Yercich, AVA Early Career Researcher and host of the AVA Webinar Series; and Kharah Ross, AVA Mid-Career Researcher and lead of the AVA Online Program and Committee. We are also joined by Charmaine Crockett, Interim CEO of the Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH), and Ana Van Balen, Vice President of Economic Security & Opportunity at Futures Without Violence, who bring valuable national and international perspectives on gender equality, empowerment, and systemic change.
Get ready to:

Think outside the box – explore bold ideas for violence prevention and systemic change.
Drive innovation – learn from leaders who are reshaping how communities respond to gender-based violence.
Create lasting impact – join a movement powered by collaboration, compassion, and courage.
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Location: This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom
Time: 10 AM – 1:30 PM MST / 12:00 – 3:30 PM EST

This year, we are proud to be joined by AVA Community Agency Partners Andrea Silverstone and Carrie McManus from Sagesse Domestic Violence Prevention Society, visionary authors of Innovation at the Back of the Bus. Together, they will spark conversations that challenge us to think boldly about the future of gender-based violence prevention in Canada.
Get ready to exchange ideas, celebrate innovation, and strengthen connections across communities. Guided by Andrea and Carrie’s insights – and joined by additional guest speakers bringing diverse perspectives and expertise – we will explore new ways to drive systems change, amplify impact, and support those at risk of or affected by violence and adversity. Let’s come together, energized by collaboration and united in purpose, to shape a safer, more equitable future for all.
Attend here!

UNICEF Canada Youth Advocacy Summit Showcase 2025
2025-11-20 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Toronto) | Virtual, Canada
November 20 is recognized as National Child Day in Canada, and World Children’s Day internationally. National Child Day commemorates Canada’s adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and is a moment to shine a spotlight on the most pressing issues facing children and youth in Canada.
On November 20, join UNICEF Canada, youth advocates, partner organizations, and decision-makers for an intergenerational event to hear directly from young people about their ideas and recommendations on Children’s Rights, Climate Change, Education, Governance and Systems Change, and Healthcare.
Youth advocates will also launch the 2025 Reimagine Playbook. Hosted in partnership with Children’s Healthcare Canada, Inspiring Healthy Futures, Plan International, Jack.org, the Students Commission of Canada, Campaign 2000, Equitas, YMCA Canada, and BGC Canada.
Attend here!

Child care for all summit 2.0
2025-11-24 - 2025-11-25 | Ottawa, ON
Come together with child care advocates, parents, early childhood educators, and community leaders from across Canada for a powerful opportunity to connect, reflect, and take collective action toward a more inclusive and equitable early learning and child care system.
This two-day summit will offer space for deep conversation, collaboration, and learning, with a focus on the intersectional barriers faced by those historically excluded from Canada’s formal child care systems — including Black, racialized, immigrant and refugee families, gender-diverse parents, parents with disabilities, and parents of children with disabilities. These communities, often overlooked in child care policy and planning, will be at the center of this convening.
Our collective goal is to strengthen a diverse and feminist child care movement that centers lived experience, addresses systemic barriers, and drives forward the vision of $10-a-day child care for all.
What to expect
Over two days, participants will:

Deepen their understanding of systemic gaps in child care policy and provision
Explore solutions and grassroots strategies to advance equity in child care
Strengthen networks and partnerships across movements and regions
Strengthen the tools, skills, and momentum needed to advocate effectively in their communities and engaging equity-seeking groups.

Held during the Canada-wide Days of Action for Early Learning and Child Care, this summit is both a celebration of progress and call to action. It is an opportunity to align our visions, share knowledge, and take action toward a child care system that works for all families
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Whether you’re a parent, early childhood educator, advocate, community leader, or simply passionate about equitable access to early learning and child care, this summit is for you! We welcome those with varying levels of experience in child care advocacy — whether you’re new to the field or a seasoned advocate, your voice matters.
Come be part of this important movement, learn, and help shape the future of early learning and child care in Canada!
We are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. In alignment with these principles, bursaries are available for participants who need financial support to cover the costs of accommodations and transportation.
Attend here!

Health Together - Women's health and health promotion in a marginalized community in Hong Kong
2025-11-24 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Vancouver) | Virtual, Canada
Please join Health Together… for a webinar by Prof. Jane Zhao. The webinar is open to all and free of charge. We host webinars every two months. All welcome!

Learning Objectives from Webinar:

Learn more current evidence on the sex-disparity in cardiovascular health.
Learn the experience of conducting health promotion activities in a marginalized community in Hong Kong

Meet Prof. Jane Zhao
Prof. Jane Zhao is an Assistant Professor at School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. Prof. Zhao has been focusing on the potential causes and modifiable drivers of chronic diseases, mainly cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease. In her research, she utilized interdisciplinary approach incorporating epidemiology, genetics, nutrition and clinical trials, to assess the role of modifiable targets, such as dietary factors and medications, on chronic diseases. These dedicated efforts generated fruitful research outputs, with 80 publications in prestigious international journals such as the British Medical Journal (BMJ), European Heart Journal (EHJ), Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), BMC Medicine, Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN), Diabetologia, Drugs, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 55 of these as the first author and/or corresponding author. Prof. Zhao was awarded the HKU Research Output Prize, and Faculty Outstanding Research Output Award, as well as the prestigious Takemi Fellowship at Harvard University. Considering the differences by settings, Prof. Zhao is dedicated to finding locally relevant evidence, as well as prevention and treatment strategies. As Principal Investigator (PI), in collaboration with Elderly Health Service Centers in Hong Kong, Prof. Zhao coordinated the Elderly Biobank, an elderly biobank built based on a large elderly cohort across all 18 districts in Hong Kong. As a leader, she got funded to establish the Collaboration Hub on healthy aging, to promote data sharing and lead collaborative work.
Attend here!
