The Muslim Women and Youth: Enabling Civic Participation Project occurred between March 2007 and November 2008, and was funded by the Status of Women Canada.
OBJECTIVES
- To increase the knowledge of Muslim women, legal experts and service providers regarding Muslim and Canadian family laws;
- To address specific needs of Muslim youth and develop strategies to rid discriminatory practices
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
There were two aspects to this project. One involved working with Muslim women, service providers and legal experts to increase their understanding of Muslim and Canadian Family Laws. These sessions were based on booklets developed by CCMW which compared Canadian and Muslim Family Laws. Topics covered included Domestic Contracts, Marriage, Divorce, Custody and Child support, Family Property and Spousal Support, and Inheritances. While the main objective of the local sessions was to share information, in some cases the sessions also became and exercise in interfaith dialogue and cooperation. The organization of the sessions also allowed us to develop partnerships with different community providers and community organizations. CCMW conducted more than 20 workshops, across Canada, reaching more than 400 people.
The other main activity of the project was a pilot project in collaboration with schools and community organizations. CCMW partnered with Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization for this part of the project. The pilot project sought to identify some of the issues facing young Muslims such as discrimination and racism and navigating multiple identities. It also sought to develop strategies that would involve the whole community including families, youth, schools and social services, to assist young people to develop a strong sense of their multiple identities as Canadian Muslims.
