2025 Year in Review

In 2025, amid ongoing challenges such as the continued impact of Quebec’s secularism laws, rising online hate, and persistent barriers to equitable employment and safety, CCMW deepened its national impact. Through research-driven conferences, workplace and digital anti-racism education, survivor-centred initiatives, expanded legal supports, and the celebration of Muslim women’s leadership and scholarship, CCMW strengthened pathways for belonging, justice, and opportunity for Muslim women and girls across Canada. Let’s take a look back at the projects and impact at CCMW in 2025!

CCMW LAW (Legal Advocacy for Women)

CCMW’s Legal Services Coordination Program has been running since Fall of 2020. The aim of this program is to provide culturally appropriate legal services coordination for Canadian Muslim women seeking legal advice and counsel on family law issues. 

CCMW has provided family law education for the past two decades and updates its educational resources every five years or so to ensure alignment with any changes in family laws in Canada and trends in Muslim family laws.

In February 2025, CCMW launched the Muslim Women’s Legal and Community Support Clinic Pilot Project in Ontario. This Ontario-based initiative provides trauma- informed, faith-based, and culturally competent family law support, legal education, advocacy, and direct legal services to survivors of gender-based violence, alongside accessible wraparound resources for Muslim women navigating the Ontario family law system as self-represented litigants. Building on insights from earlier projects addressing gender-based violence and barriers to justice, the clinic responds to critical gaps in legal services by enhancing legal literacy and access to justice, reinforcing CCMW’s ongoing commitment to equity and systemic change.

Please note: this pilot project is currently available only to individuals located in Ontario.

If you would like to contact a member of our Ontario legal services team, please email intake@ccmw.com or call (647) 622-2221.

Muslim Women Scholars Series

Throughout 2025, CCMW facilitated the Muslim Women Scholars Series, highlighting the work of contemporary Muslim women academics and thought leaders. This ongoing educational project challenges stereotypes, broadens public understanding of Muslim women’s scholarship, and deepens critical discourse on topics relevant to communities across Canada. 

Digital Anti-Racism Education (DARE) & Workshops

The Digital Anti-Racism Education (DARE) Project is CCMW’s national program designed to raise awareness, combat and empower racialized women, girls and allies with the resources needed to counter online hate. 

We offer workshops nationwide (including Racism 101 and Countering Cyberhate 101), and this year we have trained 1,149 participants in understanding Anti-Islamophobia, Anti-Racism & Anti-oppression and Countering Cyberhate.

Download the project overview to learn more. For more information and/or to schedule a workshop, please contact educationcoordinator@ccmw.com

National ASPIRE 2025 Employment Conference

CCMW hosted the ASPIRE National Employment Conference: I Belong, You Belong in partnership with the Diversity Institute on November 6th and 7th. This landmark two-day event brought together community leaders, policymakers, employers, researchers, and advocates across sectors to tackle employment barriers facing Muslim and racialized women. Over 120 participants engaged in panels, interactive workshops, and a marketplace. The conference also featured the launch of ASPIRE Toolkits and Workshop Modules - practical resources grounded in the ASPIRE national study findings -  to support systemic and workplace change. These modules will be released on our website early 2026.

If you have any questions about the ASPIRE Conference or would like to learn more please contact conference@ccmw.com

Workplace Interventions on Sexual Harassment (WISH) Project

In 2025 CCMW launched the WISH Project - a national initiative aimed at addressing and preventing sexual harassment in workplaces, particularly for newcomer, immigrant, and racialized Muslim women. This project emphasizes raising awareness of legal rights and developing culturally relevant guidance for both women and employers. 

The WISH team also completed two needs-assessment surveys in 2025, to gather insights and identify gaps in knowledge and awareness levels from both employees and employers. 

If you have questions about the WISH Project or are interested in contributing, collaborating, or staying informed, please reach out to zainab.jamal@ccmw.com

Women Who Inspire Awards 2025

Held on November 8 2025, the annual Women Who Inspire Awards celebrated 6 remarkable Muslim women across Canada who are breaking barriers and fostering equity and leadership. This year’s theme, “Bridging the Gap – Advancing Equity Through Action,” inspired meaningful conversations and connections. The event brought together more than 100 attendees, including speakers Habiba Diallo and Ginella Massa. 

CCMW also presented Lila Fahlman Scholarships to four outstanding women pursuing higher education, recognizing excellence in community service, advocacy, and leadership. 

Restructuring of CCMW Chapters

This year CCMW Chapters were restructured to ensure accountability and compliance with CRA and the Canada Non-Profit Corporations Act. The goal was to unite chapters within regions and to ensure a more organized involvement of members.

If you aren’t already, sign up to become a CCMW Member and connect with your regional chapter today by clicking here!

Community-Powered Impact

The CCMW GBV Emergency Bursary Fund was established to provide timely, compassionate financial support to Muslim women experiencing gender-based violence. The fund has helped women in our community access immediate safety needs such as emergency housing, transportation, legal assistance, and basic living supports during critical moments. By removing financial barriers, the bursary has empowered survivors to make safer choices for themselves and their families and begin the process of rebuilding with dignity.

Alongside this, the Lila Fahlman Scholarships continue to invest in the long-term well-being and leadership of Muslim women by supporting their educational and professional goals. These scholarships help reduce financial stress and open doors to opportunities that foster independence, confidence, and community impact.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters, CCMW has raised over $25,000 in 2025 across both programs, directly strengthening safety, stability, and opportunity for women in our community.

Looking Ahead

As 2025 closes, CCMW continues its commitment to equality, equity, and empowerment for Muslim women and girls in Canada - building on the successes of the year with new resources, expanded legal support, and ongoing engagements to dismantle systemic barriers in employment, justice, and social inclusion.

We are also hoping to work on a new project in the new year, called Red Flag Laws Awareness & Education. This project will focus on distributing information about these legal protections to those most at risk, including racialized and religious minority communities. Educational materials will be developed in plain language and translated into French, Urdu, Somali, Arabic, and Farsi. These will be delivered through bilingual workshops, online webinars, and a multilingual social media campaign.

2026 will mark the release of CCMW’s new website, as well as the Toolkits and Workshop Modules that have been developed from the ASPIRE Project.

If you would like to work with CCMW, please contact info@ccmw.com to start that conversation. We also welcome you to support us by follow us on our social media platforms @ CCMWNational