A Holiday Fundraiser for Women Fleeing Violence

A Holiday fundraiser for women fleeing violence

Sponsored by Cristina Porretta & Rabi Karim

Aura Freedom is honoured to partner with Cristina Porretta and Rabi Karim as they collaborate to raise desperately-needed funds to support our work addressing and preventing violence against women and human trafficking in Canada.

This Holiday season, join Cristina and Rabi in their generous efforts to support women and children fleeing violence during the holidays. Your donations will prevent violence, support survivors and change lives.

DONATE NOW

Our Urgent Call

Violence against women and children often increases during the Holiday season. We see this happen every year. Aura Freedom is working to change this – and we need your help.

A few important facts

A woman in Canada is violently killed every 2.5 days. This has increased 27% since 2019.
Women are 9x more likely to be murdered by an intimate partner than a stranger. Women in Canada are most often killed by men they should have been safe with.
Each year, 362,000 children witness domestic violence in Canada. These children have double the rate of psychiatric disorders as children from non-violent homes.
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'Imagine' Video Series by Aura Freedom

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Who We Are

Aura Freedom is a grassroots, survivor-led organization that works tirelessly to end violence against women and human trafficking. Our work goes deep to address the root causes of violence and exploitation, and aims to create long-lasting, systemic change.

What We Do

  • Education and Knowledge-Sharing
  • Awareness Campaigns and Special Events
  • Workshops and Training
  • Media Analysis and Reform
  • Community Research
  • Advocacy and Policy Work
  • Survivor Support

Our Vision

Our Vision is a world in which all women and girls live free from violence. Each and every one of our initiatives strives to one day make that vision a reality.

Watch the recap of Aura Freedom’s decade anniversary event

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Discover Our Work

ADVOCACY & EDUCATION

ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION

Discover our recent advocacy, events, media appearances, campaigns, policy work, and more to advance equity and eradicate gender-based violence.
Learn more

PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH

PUBLICATIONS & RESEARCH

Explore our publications, research, reports, briefs and more to eradicate violence against women and human trafficking.
Learn more

WORKSHOPS & CONSULTING

WORKSHOPS & CONSULTING

Explore our workshops and consulting on preventing and ending gender-based violence and human trafficking.
Learn more

Discover Our Resources

gBV resource centre

Explore our resource centre for education on different forms of gender-based violence in Canada.
EXPLORE THE CENTRE

Femicide education page

Explore our award-winning "For Her" campaign on femicide in Canada, including an educational info page.
EXPLORE THE CENTRE

human trafficking info hub

Discover our grassroots hub of information and resources to prevent human trafficking in Canada.
EXPLORE THE INFO HUB

Thank you. We are grateful!

A huge thank you to Cristina Porretta, Rabi Karim, and all of their colleagues, family and friends. Together, you have made a difference.

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Aura Freedom is a registered Canadian charity. All donations will receive a charitable tax receipt upon completion.
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Request for Quotation (RFQ) – Event Planning Consultant

Request for Quotation (RFQ)- Event Planning Consultant

Project Title: Disrupting the Tides: A Human Trafficking Knowledge-Sharing Symposium

Hosted by: Aura Freedom International

Event Date: Thursday, February 20th, 2025
Event Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST
Location: Vaughan Studios & Event Space
200 Apple Mill Road, Vaughan, ON L4K 5Z5

Attendee Goal: 200

Background

Aura Freedom is seeking an Event Planning Consultant for a Human Trafficking Knowledge-Sharing Symposium taking place in February 2025 in recognition of Canada’s National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. This dynamic, full-day event will bring together anti-human trafficking and human rights experts, community advocates, survivors, academics, educators, and others to educate and empower frontline service providers with essential knowledge, skills, and resources to combat human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and other forms of gender-based violence, and support at-risk communities.

Objectives

  1. Education, Awareness, and Skills Development
    Interactive sessions, workshops, and panel discussions will focus on increasing understanding of human trafficking, exploring its impact, and sharing trauma-informed strategies for those supporting survivors.
  2. Resource Spotlight Fair
    Partner community organizations will showcase their resources and community initiatives, providing valuable information to participants.
  3. Networking and Collaboration
    Opportunities for participants to network, share experiences, and make connections.
  4. Empowerment through Art
    The Symposium will celebrate survivors and frontline heroes through creative performances and/or art installations.

Scope of Work

Strong and professional event planning skills are required. We are seeking quotations from experienced vendors covering all aspects of event planning, including, but not limited to:

  1. Venue Setup and Management
    • Setup of the event space for all aspects of the event
    • Tech requirements, audiovisual coordination (microphones, projectors, screens).
    • Event management on the day of the Symposium.
  2. Catering Coordination
    • Lunch for approximately 100 participants, including dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options).
    • Morning and afternoon refreshments (coffee, tea, snacks).
  3. Speaker/Facilitator Coordination
    • Assistance in booking, coordinating and managing speakers and facilitators for the interactive sessions.
  4. Marketing and Materials
    • Distribution and Printing of event materials (program guides, name tags, signage).
    • Promotion of the event through appropriate channels.
  5. Resource Fair Management
    • Coordination of booth setups and logistics for participating organizations
  6. Volunteer Coordination
    • Coordination of event volunteers
  7. Creative/Artistic Performances
    • Support in organizing and managing the artistic component of the Symposium.

Submission Requirements

Vendors are requested to provide the following information in their quotation:

  1. Company Profile
    • Brief overview of your organization/company, relevant experience, and qualifications.
  2. Proposed Services
    • Detailed outline of services offered, including any value-added services.
  3. Pricing
    • Breakdown of costs for each service, including any packages or discounts for bundled services.
  4. Timeline
    • Proposed timeline for deliverables leading up to and on the day of the event.
  5. References
    • Contact information for at least two references from similar events.

Submission Deadline

Please submit your quotation by December 1, 2024. Quotations can be sent via email to info@aurafreedom.org with “RFQ Human Trafficking Symposium” in the subject line.

Selection Criteria

Quotations will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  • Experience and qualifications of the vendor.
  • Completeness and quality of the proposed services.
  • Competitive pricing.
  • Feedback from references.
  • Experience working in the anti-violence sector or other relevant social sector is an asset.
  • In-person/on site work will be required.

We look forward to your proposal and to working together to make this Symposium a success.

Thank you for your interest!

Visit our Human Trafficking Info Hub

Click Here

Giving Tuesday 2020 Campaign- Mommy ‘n Me Comfort Kits

Mommy 'n Me Comfort Kits for Women & Children Fleeing Violence in Toronto During COVID-19

We are so thankful to all those who contributed to our Mommy ‘n Me Comfort Kits for women and kids experiencing and fleeing violence during COVID-19.

We provided kits to women being supported by Aura Freedom, as well as to our community partners Native Women’s Resource Centre of Toronto, FCJ Refugee Centre, and Women’s Habitat Etobicoke.

We couldn’t be more grateful to all those who donated on Giving Tuesday. Every single dollar counted and we see you ALL! Shout out to Lush Cosmetics North America and Another Story Book Shop in Toronto for their contributions to our Mommy ‘n Me Comfort Kits.

Check out our video below!

WEBINAR FOR YOUTH 13+: How to Prevent Sexual Exploitation by Advancing Equality and Practicing Kindness

a free webinar for YOUTH 13+(and adults) to prevent sexual exploitation/trafficking

Aura Freedom partnered with MCIS Language Solutions and Helpingtraffickedpersons.org to bring youth 13+ a FREE webinar to prevent sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Attention all youth at home during the COVID-19 crisis:

Been hearing a lot about human trafficking and online exploitation lately?

What do they really look like? Are you at risk?

What does this all mean to you, your friends and your community?

Join the youth team of Aura Freedom’s Peer Prevention Project for an interactive webinar aimed at preventing human trafficking, online exploitation and gender-based violence though education and empowerment.

Designed and created for youth, by youth, our webinar will increase your awareness of trafficking and exploitation with a focus on its root causes and give you the tools you need to keep yourself and your friends safe.

With students out of school and spending more time online, there is no better time to learn about internet safety, equality and healthy relationships in order to make informed decisions and lead lives free from violence and exploitation.

Appropriate for ages 13+

Youth, parents, teachers and interested community members will:

    • learn how human trafficking and online exploitation happen (the luring/grooming process, current trends, myths) and what they look like in Canada
    • explore the root causes of human trafficking (gender inequality, colonialism, systemic racism, ableism, homophobia, etc.) and how recognizing and understanding these root causes can increase equality and prevent abuse and exploitation
    • learn about consent, healthy relationships and internet safety
    • learn how to protect yourself and the people you care about and where to get help
    • learn how to create a safer, more equal and more peaceful world
Access the webinar

WEBINAR FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS: Preventing Trafficking by Unpacking Root Causes and Empowering Youth

a free webinar for frontline workers and parents to prevent exploitation/trafficking

Aura Freedom partnered with MCIS Language Solutions and Helpingtraffickedpersons.org to bring frontline workers, parents and caregivers a FREE webinar on how to prevent sexual exploitation and human trafficking

Been hearing a lot about human trafficking lately? What does it mean to your family, the people you support at work, and your community?

Join Marissa Kokkoros, our Executive Director, for an interactive webinar on how to prevent human trafficking in the sex trade by advancing EQUALITY. By analyzing the root causes of human trafficking and exploitation, we can empower youth to demand better for themselves and their communities. 

After all, it’s very difficult to traffic empowered youth.

Parents, teachers, frontline workers, interested community members and other stakeholders will:

-learn the basics of human trafficking in the sex trade, the luring/grooming process and current trends

-explore the root causes of human trafficking in the sex trade (gender inequality, colonialism, systemic racism, ableism, homophobia, etc.) and how recognizing and unpacking these root causes with youth can increase equality and prevent abuse and exploitation

-how to appropriately support youth who are being exploited or those at risk

-learn where to get help and find resources

Access the webinar

Press Release: Aura Freedom launches report in honour of International Women’s Day

press release

Toronto, Ontario – March 8, 2020: In honour of International Women’s Day, Aura Freedom launches “Relentless Resilience” – a bold report on the impact of gender-based violence on Canadian society.

Aura Freedom is a grassroots Canadian organization based in Toronto that works to end gender-based violence for good.

‘Relentless Resilience’ is a series of interviews with social workers and survivors of gender-based violence in Canada. The report is raw, real and bold. It does not sugar-coat anything, but paints a sobering picture of the current situation for countless women and girls in Canada and what has to be done.

Currently, there is no National Action Plan for gender-based violence in Canada. The report calls upon the government to implement an urgent Action Plan that PREVENTS gender-based violence as opposed to solely reacting to it. “Women’s organizations, shelters and rape crisis centres will simply keep chasing their tails unless a concrete, proactive plan is implemented. Unless the violence is prevented, starting NOW,” says the report’s author, Marissa Kokkoros.

-Every 3 days, a woman or girl in Canada is killed. Many of them, by their partners.

-Indigenous women are killed 12 TIMES more likely to be killed than any other women in Canada.

-On any given night, 6000 women and children sleep in emergency shelters because it is not safe at home.

On International Women’s Day, as we celebrate women, we must recognize that in order for women and girls to live healthy and vibrant lives, the violence against them must end. But, ending the violence won’t simply benefit women and girls – it will benefit everyone.

Imagine a Canada free from gender-based violence. “Very often, women are the traditional caregivers of their families and custodians of their communities. So, when you break a woman down, you break down everyone around her. Gender-based violence is robbing us all of infinite talent and love,” says Marissa.

This is not just a feminist issue. Men and boys must be part of the solution. While we know that not all men are violent, we also know most violence against women is committed by men. So, it’s a men’s issue, too.

While governments scramble to put together action plans to address COVID-19, women and girls are being raped, beaten, and murdered every day. Right now, hundreds of women and their children are being turned away from shelters because there is no room. Where is the national emergency?

When we look at ending the violence, we must look at its connections to inequalities of gender, race, class and ability. “The only way forward is for all of us, in Canada and around the world, to invest in the way each child is treated, taught, protected and valued equally from day one. Equality is everything,” says Marissa.

This International Women’s Day, let’s all stand up and say enough and work together to end gender-based violence. It is possible.

The ‘Relentless Resilience’ report is available for free at www.aurafreedom.org

Download Press Release here:

Press Release Edited – Relentless Resilience

 

Relentless Resilience – A Beijing +25 Canadian Parallel Report & CSW64 Parallel Event

relentless resilience - a beijing +25 Canadian parallel report

The Grassroots has spoken.

In February 2020, Aura Freedom submitted an official Beijing +25 Canadian Parallel Report with a focus on gender-based violence entitled ‘Relentless Resilience.

Relentless Resilience is a Beijing +25 Parallel Report that calls for holistic change to address the root causes of gender-based violence (gender inequity, systemic racism, colonialism, ableism, trans/homophobia, capitalism, etc.) and societal power imbalances that uphold the status quo. Our guiding framework is rooted in human rights activism, grassroots excellence, trauma and, of course, resilience. Relentless Resilience aims to highlight the most marginalized women and girls in Canada and the resiliency of them in response to violence, oppression, and indifference. 

Through interviews with frontline social workers and survivor stories from grassroots organizations in the City of Toronto, Canada, our Beijing +25 Parallel Report demonstrates how gender-based violence is impacting all 12 Areas of Critical Concern of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and hindering the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Relentless Resilience can be considered a point of reference for advocacy efforts that call for the eradication of gender-based violence throughout the entire year of Beijing +25, including CSW64 and the Generation Equality Forum taking place in Mexico and France in 2020, and beyond. 

Click here for the report: AF_RelentlessResilience_Beijing25_Cdn_ParallelRpt_Feb2020.pdf

Attending CSW64? Come and meet Aura Freedom on March 13th at the Church Center for the United Nations (Drew Room) at 6:15pm for the launch of Relentless Resilience, where we will present key findings, share resiliency strategies with our colleagues from around the world, and build the feminist movement. All are welcome!

Click here for the flyer:

AuraFreedom_NGO_HandbookAd_6.25×9.25Ad_2020_lores

GBV Across the SDGs​ -A Beijing +25 Initiative

gbv across the sDgs - A beijing +25 initiative

#EndGBVtoAchieveSDGs

Gender-based violence is a National Emergency in Canada. It is affecting every single aspect of Canadian life and the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Grassroots groups have been advocating for change for a long time. We can’t wait any longer.


Gender-based violence is impacting families, communities and entire countries. While global heads of state convene to discuss struggling economies, migration, poverty, disease, and climate change, we at the grassroots level know that the eradication of gender-based violence and the empowerment of women and girls can bring increased wealth, health, peace and climate justice to our communities.

Click on the link below to view our snapshot of gender-based violence in Canada across the Sustainable Development Goals and join the movement to end GBV for the benefit of everyone on earth.

AF_RelentlessResilience_Beijing+25_Cdn_ParallelRpt_SDGSnapShot

Giving Tuesday 2019 Video Campaign – Violence Against Homeless Girls

Giving Tuesday 2019 Campaign - Violence Against Homeless Girls

Homeless girls experience higher rates of sexual violence and exploitation than those with stable housing. Our Giving Tuesday 2019 campaign supported violence prevention programs from our Peer Prevention Project to youth living in shelters.

Donations raised through our video allowed our Peer Prevention Project to provide gender-based violence prevention workshops and GIFT PACKS with warm socks, soap, shampoo and menstrual hygiene items to 120+ youth across Toronto. A hot lunch was also provided by Aura Freedom in the shelters so that youth could share a Holiday meal with our youth staff.

A very special thanks to Lush Cosmetics North America for their generous donation of soap and shampoo for the gift packs and thanks to all those who donated for Giving Tuesday!

Click here to see Aura Freedom staff, Board members and volunteers in our Giving Tuesday commercial!