ABOUT US

The Courage to Act Foundation Logo is a teal anise seed with orange seeds.

The Courage to Act Foundation is a national non-profit focused on addressing sexual and gender-based violence in Canadian post-secondary institutions. We collaborate with survivors, communities, governments, and public and private institutions to co-design supports, systems and strategies for safer, more inclusive campuses.

Our Story

The foundation’s journey started in 2018 when Possibility Seeds, a systems change consultancy, was commissioned by the federal government to develop a national framework for addressing gender-based violence on Canadian campuses. 

This led to the Courage to Act report and five years of deep engagement, consultation and collaboration with 4,800 stakeholders to implement the recommendations. 83 evidence-based resources were created and 79 learning opportunities delivered. Over 1.8 million students and more than 200 educational institutions across Canada were reached.

Our foundation continues this essential work through a research-to-action approach.

A student makes a note in a fellow student's book.

Why we do this work

We imagine and work toward environments where the following statistics are no longer prevalent in Canadian post-secondary spaces:

  • 1 in 2 post-secondary students have been subjected to at least one instance of sexual harassment in internships, co-ops, and other experiential learning settings

  • 71% of students either witnessed or were subjected to unwanted sexualized behaviours in a postsecondary setting.

  • 1 in 10 women were subjected to sexual assault in a post-secondary setting

  • Women with disabilities are twice as likely as women without disabilities to have been sexually assaulted

  • 47% of post-secondary students witnessed or were subjected to discrimination based on gender, gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year

  • 19% of women aged 15-64 reported they were subjected to at least one type of harassment in the workplace 2020

  • 13% of men aged 15-64 reported they were subjected to at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months (2020).

    1. 1. 1 in 2 post-secondary students have been subjected to at least one instance of sexual harassment in internships, co-ops, and other experiential learning settings (Courage to Act, 2023).

    2. 71% of students at Canadian postsecondary schools either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a postsecondary setting. (Burczycka, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, 2020, p. 3).

    3. 1 in 10 women experienced a sexual assault in a postsecondary setting during the previous year. (Burczycka, 2020, p. 3).

    4. Women with disabilities are twice as likely as women without disabilities to have been sexually assaulted (DisAbled Women’s Network, 2019).

    5. 47% of students at Canadian post-secondary institutions witnessed or experienced discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity or sexual orientation in the past year. (Burczycka, 2020, p. 4).

    6. 19% of women aged 15-64 reported they experienced at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the last 12 months (Statistics Canada, 2018a).

    7. 13% of men aged 15-65 reported they experienced at least one type of harassment in the workplace in the past 12 months. (Statistics Canada, 2018a).

Our Team

  • Anoodth Naushan (she/her)

    Executive Director

  • Maya Kotlarenko (she/her)

    Operations Lead

  • Aubrianna Snow (she/her)

    Project Manager

  • Joannie Fogue Mgamgne (she/her)

    Bilingual Project Coordinator

  • Jocelyn Courneya (she/her)

    Communications Strategist

  • Kirsty Pazek (she/her)

    Stakeholder Strategist

  • Falak Mujtaba (she/her)

    Research & Policy Analyst

  • Britney De Costa (she/her)

    Research & Policy Analyst (on leave)

  • Salina Abji (she/her)

    Evaluation Lead

  • Leon Kim (they/them)

    Web Designer

  • Kitty Rodé (they/them)

    Graphic Designer

  • Zoie Haider (she/her)

    Illustrator

Our Board

Applications will soon open to join the Courage to Act Foundation’s Board of Directors. This is a unique opportunity to help guide our mission and contribute to transformative change.