This post was originally published on the Interval House blog.
As soon as a woman calls Interval House asking for a space, safety planning begins. Being on the other end of the phone, it’s always heartbreaking to hear the stories. But the best way to help a woman who is fleeing a violent home is to equip her with the tools she needs to get herself and her kids to safety.
In a sparsely furnished meeting room in suburban Ottawa, a group of young women sit in a circle, talking quietly. Outside, you can tell spring is on the way.
The women are members of Young Women at Risk, a weekly support group for women who have experienced violence. Each Thursday, they meet in a former classroom of a converted school, now an outreach centre for young mothers. The room contains a few chairs, a children’s playhouse in primary colours, two diaper change tables, and a folding table with an urn of stale coffee. The sound of children on their way to the playground can be heard echoing out in the hallway.
This interview was originally published by International Innovation.
Sheherazade Hirji, President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, wants to put the organisation out of business – envisioning a generation of empowered women, gender equality and an end to sexual violence.
Having dedicated your career to the philanthropic sector, you are committed to helping women and girls in Canada. What led you to your present role at the Foundation?
I actually qualified as a solicitor in England first, so I’m a ‘recovering’ lawyer. I came to Canada in the 1980s and qualified again, got called to the Bar and started to work in the area of philanthropy. I very quickly found that the work I was doing with foundations resonated with my own personal values much more than law.
When I was 19, I was an apprentice mechanic. I spent my days rotating tires, changing engine oil, and doing tune-ups. I was fascinated by cars and it paid a lot more than my previous factory jobs.
At the time, I was one of two female mechanics in the entire province of Ontario—so unusual that astonished customers would gape at me. Some didn’t want me touching their car; others lurked nearby while I worked, certain I didn’t know what I was doing. One businessman in a nice suit was so alarmed when I lifted the spare tire out of his trunk he tried to grab it away from me, getting his hands filthy in the process. Despite this, I loved my job.
Winner of:
Toll Free: 1-866-293-4483
National Office: 1920 Yonge St., Suite 302, Toronto, Ontario M4S 3E2
© Canadian Women’s Foundation
Registered Charity #12985-5607-RR0001
Site designed by Design de Plume Inc.
