racismfreeontario:

Farrah Khan. At the age of 16, Farrah Khan picked up a microphone to speak out about sexual assault and has not put it down since. Named by the Toronto Star as one of 2011′s “People to Watch,” she has spent the last sixteen years working diligently to raise awareness of gender-based violence through art creation, counseling and community development. Farrah holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and supports women who are survivors of violence as a counselor and advocate at the Barbra Schlifer Clinic. The Clinic provides legal representation, professional counselling and multilingual interpretation to 4000 women each year. At the Clinic Farrah is currently is coordinating Outburst, Young Muslim Women Safety Project looking at ways social services agencies and institutions can be more accessible to young Muslim women.

Farrah is an artist who uses prose, video and craft to explore the intersections of migration, faith and community. Deeply disturbed by the 2007 murder of teenager Aqsa Parvez, Farrah recognized that young Muslim women needed safer spaces to connect. She co-founded AQSAzine, a grassroots award-winning art collective. The collective published four issues of an internationally-distributed magazine celebrating Muslim youth writing and art. Her writing has been featured in AQSAzine and Feminism for REAL edited by Jessica Yee. Farrah’s short films have been screened at the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as at festivals in New York and the UK. Currently she is working on her first graphic novella with illustrator Somya Singh and a play with The Beekeepers Society.

Farrah is an emerging leader in grassroots equity movements and has been presented with numerous awards, including the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, Women Who Inspire Award and Urban Alliance Relations Community Award.

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• Day 76 of Racism Free Ontario’s100 People of Colour Spotlight.
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 (via Farrah Khan)