Rooted in her South African ancestry and shaped by the strength of her lived experience with disabilities, Zehra Haffajee drives transformative, equity-centred change. With 25 years of grassroots activism and public service, she has advanced inclusion, mental health, and justice through intersectional education, policy innovation, and strategic leadership in the Ontario Public Service (OPS). Zehra has advocated for survivors of violent crimes through frontline service in Ontario’s criminal courts and forensic mental health system, supported Indigenous reconciliation efforts and championed the development of Anti-Islamophobia programs that uplift Muslim communities and reshape institutional culture. To support Anti-Islamophobia practitioners, Zehra created the Shifa Pathway, an Islamically inspired psychological support model that promotes wellness and reclaims Islamic contributions to mental health. Her thought leadership includes co-authoring “Breaking the Silence: Reclaiming Qur’anic Interpretations as a Tool for Empowerment” in Canadian Woman Studies and presenting nationally, including at the Law Society of Ontario’s Mental Health Summit. Her impact has been recognized with the Ontario Bar Association’s Orlando Da Silva Award, presented to the employee-led group Voices for Mental Health for improving mental wellbeing in the justice sector and the OPS Amethyst Group Award for public service excellence for anti-racism training. Anchored in justice, dignity, and collective care, Zehra creates space for underrepresented voices to lead and drive change, while building pathways toward inclusive education, courageous leadership, and lasting social transformation.
