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My name is Eleyna and I am a 15 year old girl activist who wants to make a change in the world! Attending this year’s International Day of the Girl Speak Out at the UN headquarters was a lifetime experience. I came as a representative from Toronto, Canada, for the Loretto Sisters  and the Mary Ward Centre, and as a planning member for the Working Group on Girls.

The Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner, held on Monday, October 13, 2025, at Sacré Coeur Parish Hall, welcomed approximately 30 young adults and individuals without family in Canada.  The Interfaith Thanksgiving Dinner successfully brought together members of diverse communities for an evening of connection and celebration. The free event fostered an inclusive atmosphere where participants could build relationships across different backgrounds. The evening began with introduction

My time at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum was incredible! I had the privilege of personally representing the Mary Ward Center and our gender equality research when meeting with Ambassador Bob Rae. Similarly, I was able to connect with a range of individuals, from diplomats to NGO advocates.

Ultimately, my participation at the HLPF reaffirmed my commitment to advocacy. It strengthened my resolve to confront gendered expectations and to champion inclusive, compassionate spaces where every voice—especially those of women and girls—can be heard and valued.

I am so grateful to have been able to contribute to our shared report! It is especially meaningful for me to share my skills with the work of the Mary Ward Centre as I discern my own vocation, and a joy to use my “researcher muscles” for the first time since finishing my PhD. My work on this included some consulting on methodology and analysis, background research, and writing/editing.

In collaboration with the Mexican Consulate of Protection in Toronto and CHHA Radio 1610 FM, we will meet consuls from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic and Uruguay, for promoting higher commitment from the consuls to raise awareness and prevent people from becoming victims of human trafficking, and more active protection actions for those who were already victimized by either sex and/or labour trafficking and exploitation. 

With new strategic directions recognizing our capacity for delivery, the Mary Ward Centre now focuses on youth and adults, no longer providing programs for elementary students.  We are currently discerning how to make these resources accessible with a self-facilitation model (e.g. All About the Saints, World of Wonders, etc).

The Mary Ward Centre organized two virtual side events during the HLPF in collaboration with the IBVM-Loreto Generalate NGO to the UN and many other organizations. Recordings of the events are available on The Mary Ward Centre YouTube page.

From July 14 - 23, 2025, the Mary Ward Centre participated in the United Nations annual High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). This year’s HLPF made a deep dive analysis of five of the SDGs: SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

The Mary Ward Centre invites you to read our new report entitled "Breaking Barriers: The Urgent Need to Accelerate Gender Equality for Young Women and Girls".  Learn about the challenges and opportunities experienced by young women and girls (aged 15 to 24) in Canada in relation to gender equality and access to decent work. 

Worldwide, there are more than 123.2 million people forcibly displaced from their places of origin; 60% within their own countries, and more than 43.7 million are refugees in other countries.

At the Mary Ward Centre, we are thrilled to host the Wisdom Carriers Art Exhibition featuring Métis Algonquin artist and Knowledge...

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Last month, the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Migrant Domestic Workers...

On Feb 25th, sixty students from TCDSB schools, Madonna and St. Patrick’s, as well as YCDSB Sacred Heart High School gathered at the Mary Wa

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These 2-hour events will consist of a 15-20-minute presentation by a guest speaker, followed by listening circles.

Migration is a human right; everyone can migrate anywhere within their own country or from one country to another in safe conditions....

On February 8th, the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, the Patron Saint of victims of human trafficking, we remember and invite all people to

The start of a New Year is a favourite time for looking back and looking forward. Spend some time in prayer this week and let it be a...