View our impact report 2022 highlighting our achievements

Board of Directors

Refugee Women's Network is supported by a committed, dedicated, group of volunteers serving on the Board of Directors. Their role is to ensure our programs are aligned with our mission and vision of the organization. 

The Board members include 70% women (100% women of colour) who were once immigrants to Canada and can empathize with our clients. 

ZEBEEN RHEMTULLA
KHAIRUNISSA GANGANI
ANISHA LALANI
SHELINA BABUL
AMIN TEJANI 

MALEEKA MOHAMED

AL NANJI

We are grateful for our Board of Directors who bring  a wealth of expertise and experience to the organization. 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & FOUNDER
Zein Dhanidina ​founded Refugee Women's Network in 2016 as a response to the needs of an influx of refugees settling in Toronto and the GTA. Her goal was to bridge the language barrier through education, advocacy and supportive programs.

As Founder and Executive Director, "I wanted to help refugee and immigrant women become strong, empowered, self-sufficient women who children could look up to."

After seeing how refugee women were struggling to communicate, to understand how to help their children at school, to advocate for them, and not being able to voice their concerns, I knew I had to do something. This is when Refugee Women’s Network began.

Women are role models for their children because they spend so much time with them. If a woman does not have the ability to change her circumstances, then neither will her children. An empowered woman will break the cycle of poverty and dependence on social services and change the course of her life and her family’s.

Refugee Women’s Network's goal is to empower refugee and immigrant women and help them rebuild their lives by giving them resources and tools to make choices that will be sustainable.