Farrah Khan – Gender Equity Advocate (CANADA)

Farrah Safia Khan works for gender justice through education, advocacy and art.

Farrah Khan is an award-winning human rights and gender equity advocate. She is dedicated to advancing progressive policies on access to abortion, reproductive rights, sexual violence and gender-based violence, stigma-free healthcare, 2SLGBTQIA rights, and inclusive sex-ed in Canada and globally

She is the Executive Director of Action Canada. 

A change-maker who has worked for over two decades in gender justice movements, Farrah has worked as frontline worker, trauma counsellor, educator, policy advisor and consultant. She is a trusted advisor to organizations, institutions and governments.

Farrah has shaped policy at all levels of government, including as the co-chair of the Ontario Provincial Roundtable on Violence Against Women and as a member of the Government of Canada Advisory Council on the Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence.

In 2018, she was appointed to the Gender Equality Advisory Council for the G7 Summit, where she insisted, before an audience of world leaders, that concrete action on gender equity is necessary to create a thriving, sustainable and peaceful world.

Farrah addresses complex problems by creating innovative, community-based solutions. She established one of Canada’s first stand-alone campus sexual violence support and education offices, Consent Comes First, at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Farrah also co-created Use The Right Words, a suite of media guides for journalists reporting on gender-based violence ant the Healing Comes in Waves podcast is now a go-to resource for young people affected by sexual violence in Canada.

Since 2018 she has led Courage to Act, a groundbreaking national collaborative project addressing gender-based violence at Canadian post-secondary institutions. The project has engaged 3,500 stakeholders and will have produced 82 accessible resources by the end of 2023.

A sought-after voice in national media, Farrah has appeared on the CBC’s flagship programs, The National and The Current, and quoted in Maclean’s, Chatelaine, and VICE. Her writing has appeared in Refinery 29, Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

She uses her platform to create space to mentor and amplify young feminist groups to engage with mainstream media and advocate with policymakers. 

Farrah has received numerous awards for her feminist advocacy, including the Governor General Persons Case Award, Girl Guides of Canada, Gold Maple Leaf Award and the Canadian Council of Muslim Women’s Women Who Inspire Award.
Her lifelong work demonstrates her commitment to systemic change rooted in joy, equity and community care.

Accessible, compassionate and knowledgeable, Farrah Khan is an inspiring speaker to bring to community events, post-secondary campuses, corporate events and conferences.

She speaks across North America on gender-based violence, equity leadership, consent, bystander intervention, self-care, trauma and disclosures.

Farrah’s talks and topics

Now that offices and social settings are opening up, we could all use a reminder on how to set boundaries and practice consent with friends, coworkers, and anyone else we engage with.

This is especially true as many organizations shift from remote to in-office working environments. Not sure if your colleague is comfortable with a hug or handshake? Struggling with how to ask your manager to wear a mask at work?

Farrah Khan shares how the pandemic has underscored the importance of practicing consent throughout our daily lives, both in-person and online.

In her entertaining and informative style, Farrah shares how we can best set & communicate boundaries and practice consent, and how organizations can create safe environments for their teams. In addition to prevention, Farrah will discuss how organizations and individuals can address and respond to harm when it does happen.

Farrah notes that we’ve seen higher rates of workplace harassment reported during the pandemic. As people reorient to in-person office culture after an extended period of restrictions, remote work, and reduced communication about what is and isn’t appropriate, this is an important time to revisit how to make our workplaces safer.

“At our team, we always say consent comes first everywhere. No matter if it’s an interaction with a friend, a family member, a loved one, or a co-worker.
Consent is always a part of it.” Farrah Khan

Sample Takeaways:

• How to communicate your boundaries and practice consent with others.
• How to establish policies and procedures that make your team feel safe at work.
• Learn the B.R.A.V.E. model for responding to disclosures of harm and harassment.
• Workshop | Cultivating Consent Culture in the Workplace

This interactive workshop addresses the changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act for employers and employees.

Through a participatory session using public scenarios and pop culture references, you’ll learn and explore:

1. Tangible ways to be an effective ally to prevent and address harm.
2. Effective language for addressing the continuum of gender-based violence and consent.
3. How to connect with your peers and support survivors.
4. How to source effective resources to help. You will leave equipped with meaningful skills to recognize the signs of workplace violence and harassment and respond effectively to disclosure.

CLIENTS

With 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector at the volunteer, front-line, management and board levels, I have worked and gained expertise in various sectors, including but not limited to:

Education: Program Co-Chair, developing and delivering Osgoode Intensive Course in Responding to Campus Sexual Violence Complaints, Council of Ontario Universities, Humber College, Guelph University, Western University, UBC.

Gender-Based Violence: Respect in Action, Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children

Settlement: “Live Well” Newcomer Youth Mental Health Guides, Access Alliance, Multicultural Health and Community Services Justice

Youth: Drop the Labels, Gender-Based Violence Training Program for the Toronto District School Board.

Faith Communities: Muslim AIDS Project, Sherbourne Health Centre
2SLGBTQIIA: Community consultation and report writing for The Enchanté Network on the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence.

Newcomer Communities: Untold Stories Project, Positive Spaces, Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants

Policy Development: Co-Chair Provincial Roundtable on Violence Against Women