SAVAH supported Najia Zewari efforts to build a local grassroots civic engagement and women’s empowerment organization in Parkdale and other communities in the City of Toronto. Zewari is a former UN Women international women rights worker and leader of the Afghan Women’s Network (Afghanistan). In December, Najia facilitated a storytelling workshop for immigrant and racialized women at Parkdale Project Read. Also, Najia co-facilitated workshops at SAVAH’s December 6th Violence Against Women and International Women’s Day events.
On April 5, 2018, Global Women’s Network and SAVAH Division organized the Global Women’s Network Forum which mobilized local women activists, social workers, intellectuals, community members and accomplished the following outcomes to advance the development of this grassroots participatory civic engagement and women’s empowerment project:
- Information Sharing and Dialogue for purpose of healing; Networking so women (and men) can support each other;
- Building solidarity between all women to better understand and support each other as women from different race and ethnic groups, classes (i.e. working class, middle-class intellectuals/professionals etc.);
- Building a grassroots women’s network organization that is owned by all participants.