Power In Action forum speakers
On this page you will find the profiles shared with us by the speakers for each session. To find a detailed outline of our schedule for the forum and descriptions about all sessions, you can visit our schedule page.
Keynotes and Special Guests
Josie Nepinak (she/her)
President, Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC)
- Keynote Address
Josie Nepinak is a proud Anishinaabe woman from Treaty Four, with roots in Minegoziibe Anishinabe. She believes in a balanced approach that combines Indigenous wisdom and healing with contemporary Western methodologies to promote the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals, families, and communities.
Her extensive background spans over 30 years in executive leadership roles, where she has addressed complex social issues while working with Indigenous organizations and advocating for Indigenous women and families affected by family violence. Josie holds a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and continues her professional development in
management. She dedicates her work to those who have been silenced by systemic barriers. To elevate their voices through advocacy, awareness, and collaboration.
Dr. Lori Haskell (she/her)
C. Psych., C.M.
- Keynote Address
Dr. Lori Haskell is a clinical psychologist, researcher and writer, renowned nationally for her leadership in developing trauma-informed approaches to mental health services, the legal system, and other professional contexts. With over three decades of dedicated experience, Dr. Haskell has made lasting, system-wide contributions to educating diverse professionals, supporting survivors of sexual violence and guiding systems toward trauma-responsive care and practices.
Dr. Haskell operates a private clinical practice, while also delivering high-impact professional training and presentations across Canada—educating mental health professionals, Crown attorneys, police forces, and members of the judiciary on trauma neuroscience and justice-informed care.
A respected expert, she has provided testimony in high-profile criminal trials—including those involving sexual assault—as well as delivering expert insights during coroner’s inquests into domestic violence homicides.
Her work spans clinical innovation, trauma-informed systemic reform, and legal education. She bridges the worlds of psychology, policy, and public justice, inspiring cross-sector change to better support survivors.
Jennifer Dreyer (she/her)
Executive Director, Systemic Advocacy, First Nations, Métis and Inuit Research - Representative for Children and Youth
- Closing Keynote
Jennifer joined the Representative’s Office in September 2021 as Executive Director, Systemic Advocacy, and First Nations, Métis and Inuit Research. Jennifer is Métis-Cree, and is a member of the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria, located on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples. Jennifer is also a descendent of Scottish immigrants and Irish homesteaders and carries both her settler and Indigenous heritage with pride, “walking in two worlds” in her life and her work.
Jennifer began her career 20 years ago with youth-serving organizations, holding positions in outreach and engagement, youth leadership, and community development. This work led her to join the Ministry of Children and Family Development as the Director of Trauma-Informed Operations where she led strategic service delivery operations, policy development and program evaluation, and worked with the Tripartite Mental Health and Wellness Table to bring systems together to address the social determinants of health and wellness for families
Hon. Niki Sharma (she/her)
Deputy Premier and Attorney General of British Columbia
- Welcome Speech
Niki Sharma is the Deputy Premier and Attorney General of British Columbia. Niki was elected MLA for Vancouver-Hastings in 2020 and previously served as the deputy caucus chair and parliamentary secretary for community development and non-profits.
As Attorney General, Niki has led many reforms to help build a more equitable justice system, including strengthening protections from online harms, a record investment in family law legal aid, combatting racism and helping implement an Indigenous justice strategy. Through her work in public interest litigation, she has been successful in holding multinational corporations, such as tobacco and opioid manufacturers, accountable for harming people.
Niki is leading reforms to the justice system to address the systemic issues in responding to gender-based violence.
Niki is a lawyer, and prior to becoming elected, her practice focused on representing Indigenous people, including residential school survivors.
MLA Nina Krieger (she/her)
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
- Welcome Speech
Nina Krieger was first elected as the MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake in 2024.
Nina was appointed Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General in July 2025. She previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Arts and Film.
Before being elected to the legislature, Nina was the Executive Director for Western Canada’s leading Holocaust Museum.
Nina has advised on anti-racism education and museums provincially, nationally and internationally, serving as a member of the Canadian delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and the Inaugural Expert Committee on Countering Radicalization to Violence advising the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence.
She has an Honours History degree from the University of British Columbia and pursued graduate studies at the London Consortium, a partnership between the University of London (UK), the Architectural Association and the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Tate.
Nina lives with her family in Victoria.
Day 1 — Workshop Presenters
Moira Aikenhead (she/her)
Lecturer, JD (UVic), LLM (Allard), PhD (Allard)
- Canadian Legal Responses to Sexual Deepfakes
Moira Aikenhead is a Lecturer at the Allard School of Law, and Program Lead for the Allard Program in Technology, Law and Society.
Her feminist legal research focuses on technology-facilitated gender violence, with publications on the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, voyeurism, privacy, and digital evidence.
She is a founding member of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund’s Technology-Facilitated Violence Advisory Committee, and has provided expertise on issues surrounding legal responses to technology-facilitated gender violence to organisations including the BC Society of Transition Houses, the Law Commission of Ontario, West Coast LEAF, and Women’s Shelters Canada.
Novia Shih-Shan Chen (she/her)
Researcher for the Enhancing Wellness M4Y Research Project
- Strengthening Safety and Resilience for Immigrant Women and Youth Survivors of Violence with Digital Tools
Novia is the Researcher for the Enhancing Wellness M4Y research study led by the Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS). Novia holds a doctoral degree in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Production from Ohio University. Her research interests include transpacific cultural studies, feminist film theory and criticism, documentary studies, and Sinophone studies. She has taught at the post-secondary level and worked as a Domestic Violence Outreach Worker and a Sexual Assault Services Coordinator. Novia carries out her work through the lenses of intersectionality, critical race theory, and feminist theory.
Jolene Hammermeister (she/her)
Stopping the Violence Counsellor
- The Culture of Violence: How Messages from Media Shape Beliefs, Behaviour, and the Prevalence of Gendered Violence
Jolene is a Stopping the Violence Counsellor with North Island Crisis & Counselling Centre Society in Port Hardy, BC. Jolene’s practice has roots in narrative, client-centered modalities with a focus on creating a relationship with the past as a means to move forward. Her background in victim support, gender-based violence, mental health and substance use, supports survivors to reclaim their stories in trauma informed ways to live a full and rich life.
Grace Kwan (they/them)
Research Fellow
- Frontline Workers on the Back Burner: A Call for Systemic Accountability in Gender-Based Violence Response
Grace Kwan is a Research Fellow at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society. A Malaysian-born immigrant settler on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tseil-Waututh First Nations, they now live on Semiahmoo territory. They hold an MA in Sociology from Simon Fraser University.
Rajee Kanagavel (she/her)
Project Coordinator for the Enhancing Wellness M4Y Research Project
- Strengthening Safety and Resilience for Immigrant Women and Youth Survivors of Violence with Digital Tools
Rajee Kanagavel is the Project Coordinator for the Enhancing Wellness M4Y research project at the Vancouver and Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS). She brings over a decade of experience in research, policy development, and project management in academia and international organizations. Her work includes more than six years within the United Nations system, focusing on socioeconomic development, migration, poverty, and climate action. In her recent role at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), she led a flagship publication on migration trends in the Middle East and North Africa. Rajee has also held postdoctoral positions at University College Dublin and Singapore Management University, where her research focused on gender, social networks, and conflict. She holds a DPhil from the University of Hildesheim and Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz in Germany.
Nicole Marcia (she/her)
Registered Clinical Counsellor and Yoga Therapist
- Body as a Resource: Breath & Movement Practices for Self & Collective Car
Nicole is a Registered Clinical Counsellor and Yoga Therapist based in Vancouver, BC. Through her practice, Fine Balance Counselling & Yoga Therapy, she offers trauma counselling, EMDR, and yoga therapy for helping, healing, and crisis response professionals.
Nicole holds Master’s degrees in both Yoga Therapy (2009) and Counselling (2024) and brings over 15 years of experience as a helping professional. Her work has included supporting teens living with mental illness, women fleeing human trafficking, and individuals impacted by systemic oppression across a range of social service organizations.
She has worked in psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment centers, including serving as Director of Therapeutic Yoga Programming with BC’s Provincial Health Services Authority at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions (now Red Fish), Riverview Psychiatric Hospital and Onsite, North America’s first supervised injection site.
Nicole is a registered provider with the Crime Victim Assistance Program and holds a Silver Seal of Endorsement from the BC Professional Fire Fighters Association for advanced training in first responder trauma. She also teaches the Introduction to Addictions course in Simon Fraser University’s First Responder Trauma Prevention program.
Noemi Rosario Martinez (she/her)
Community Engagement and Research Fellow
- Frontline Workers on the Back Burner: A Call for Systemic Accountability in Gender-Based Violence Response
Noemi is a German-Puerto Rican settler on Coast Salish lands, and the Community Engagement and Research Fellow at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society. Her work at the Centre focuses on the community based research project “Social Services Workers on the Frontlines of Gender-Based Violence Response.”
Allison McKee (she/her)
Stopping the Violence and PEACE Counsellor
- The Culture of Violence: How Messages from Media Shape Beliefs, Behaviour, and the Prevalence of Gendered Violence
Allison is a Stopping the Violence and PEACE Counsellor with North Island Crisis & Counselling Centre Society in Port Hardy, BC. Allison supports individuals through trauma-informed, client centered care that emphasizes empowerment and self-healing. With a background in psychology, mental health and addiction, and community health, she brings a holistic perspective to her practice, integrating mental health, behaviour change, and overall well-being.
Alex Peel (she/her)
Manager of Public Legal Education and Information at Legal Aid BC
- Connecting with Legal Aid BC
Alex Peel is the Manager of Public Legal Education and Information and has worked at Legal Aid BC for 16 years. Prior to becoming manager Alex was a Publications Coordinator and Community Engagement Coordinator on the Community and Publishing team. Two years ago the department launched the Legal Aid Navigator program. Eleven Navigators provide one-on-one support to complex legal aid clients by working with the client to provide tailored, next-step legal information, facilitating access to lawyers and the court, making warm referrals to appropriate wrap-around services, and helping gather documents and other practical assistance.
Ram Sidhu (she/her)
Manager of Clinic Operations at Parents Legal Centre and the Family Law Clinics
- Connecting with Legal Aid BC
Ram Sidhu is the Manager of Clinic Operations and supports the work of the Parents Legal Centre and the Family Law Clinics. She has a Master of Education from Simon Fraser University in Justice Law and Ethics. Prior to joining Legal Aid BC, Ram managed a Family Law Advocacy and Poverty Law Advocacy programs. Ram has extensive experience in supporting survivors of IPV through the family law system and in developing programs for survivors.
Day 2 — Workshop Presenters
Taruna Agrawal (she/her)
Managing lawyer at Rise Women's Legal Centre
- BC Protection Orders in Practice
Taruna Agrawal is responsible for supervising the Family Advocate Support team at Rise. In this program, Taruna supervises the CLS lawyers, family law advocate, and the Family Law Educator at Rise. She also operates a Family Advocate Support Line and provides training to advocates and workers across BC primarily in the area of family law. Prior to Rise, Taruna has worked at a boutique family law firm and has operated her own family and immigration law practice. Her work is grounded in a commitment to equity and access to justice, with a particular focus on supporting individuals leaving abusive relationships to secure the legal protections and support they need. Taruna has contributed her expertise to numerous non-profit organizations through volunteer positions, including service on Boards of Directors.
Mercedes Baines (she/her)
Psychotherapist/Facilitator
- The Long Exhale: Breathing Through the Untenable
Mercedes Baines (MA, RCC, CCC, CAC) is a writer, performer & somatic psychotherapist, facilitator, instructor & consultant in private practice – Mind In Body. She identifies as a multi-racial, fat-bodied, queer-adjacent, cis-gendered woman who is a trauma survivor & lives with chronic illnesses.
Her work in the performing arts (SFU School for Contemporary Arts), her training in somatic trauma healing (Somatic Experiencing) & Adlerian Therapy (Adler University), influences her approach to psychotherapy & her understanding of healing & the creative processes. She is passionate about exploring ways to inhabit both healing & creative processes in ways that are collaborative, embodied & integrated.
Her areas of psychotherapy practice include: body image; trauma; living with a life-altering (chronic)/life-threatening illness; disordered eating; depression; anxiety; grief and loss; identity; sexuality and issues related to race and culture. Her themes of creative practice include: intersection of race & sexuality; identity & race politics; eroticism & sensuality; body image; fantasy; gender identity; intimate relationships & trauma.
Janine Benedet (she/her)
Professor, LLB (UBC), LLM (Michigan), SJD (Michigan)
- Current Issues in the Law of Sexual Consent
Janine Benedet is a Professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law. Her research focuses on legal responses to sexual violence against women and girls, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sex work and pornography. She also acts as intervener counsel pro bono for women’s and disability justice groups in sexual violence cases. Her recent work has focused on the ways in which the Charter of Rights has been used to limit the effect of feminist law reform in the area of sexual assault.
A frequent presenter at judicial education courses, she is an associate editor of the Criminal Reports. Professor Benedet has been awarded the King’s Counsel designation and is a recipient of the Governor-General’s Medal in Commemoration of the Person’s Case for her work advancing the equality of women and girls.
Vicky Bungay (she/her)
Registered Nurse and Professor
- Relational Trust as the Driving Force in Outreach with Women Experiencing Gender-Based Violence
Vicky is a registered nurse and Professor in UBC School of Nursing Vancouver Campus. Vicky’s research aims to create change in health and social care policy and programming that is driven by communities of people impacted by gender-based violence and harms arising from stigma and discrimination in care encounters.
As the Scientific Director, at the Capacity Research Centre @UBC, Vicky and her teams are committed to the principles and practices of community-based and participatory approaches to research that value holistic views of personhood, reciprocity, strengths, and rights to self-determination to achieve these aims. Their work occurs in collaboration and in partnership with researchers, leaders, staff, and people with lived and living experience of gender-based violence.
Nicole Cherlet (she/her)
Procne Navigation
- Building Disability Confidence in Program Delivery and Supporting Disabled Survivors
Speaker bio coming soon.
Perminder Flora (she/her)
Program Lead of Provincial Services, EVA BC
- The Power of Group: Group facilitation skills for supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
With almost 30 years of experience in the anti-violence sector, Perminder brings an unwavering commitment to facilitating culturally responsive and trauma-informed access to violence prevention services for victims and survivors across diverse communities.
Perminder is a graduate of SFU and began her career providing direct services to victims of crime and counselling support to survivors of gender-based and sexual violence. Prior to joining EVA BC, she worked in the anti-violence sector where she developed and implemented programs that addressed the intersecting systems which create barriers for multiculturally diverse communities. Perminder uses the knowledge she gained from front line roles to inform the development of new projects and initiatives to support survivors and service providers and contributed multiple trainings, policies, and best practices across sectors and nationally.
A frequent presenter at judicial education courses, she is an associate editor of the Criminal Reports. Professor Benedet has been awarded the King’s Counsel designation and is a recipient of the Governor-General’s Medal in Commemoration of the Person’s Case for her work advancing the equality of women and girls.
Joel Harnest (he/him)
Education Manager at BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC)
- Engaging Men and Boys in GBV Prevention: Dialogue, Tensions, and Practical Pathways Forward
Joel leads the development of public education initiatives focused on human rights, systemic discrimination, and social change at BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner. He has 15-years’ experience in facilitation, public engagement, and community-based education, including leadership roles at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the City of Vancouver, and QMUNITY. His approach emphasizes relationship-building, surfacing diverse perspectives, and supporting groups to work productively with tension and difference. At BCOHRC, Joel is currently supporting the early development of a province-wide public education campaign on gender-based violence, with a focus on prevention and the role of boys, men, and masculinities.
Joel lives as an uninvited guest on Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh lands. He was raised on Haudenosaunee and Tyendinaga lands, with German and British ancestry.
Shirley Hogan (she/her)
Owner and Lead Facilitator of Raven Workplace Mental Health Training and Consulting
- How we respond matters, understanding how trauma, culture and power can impact provider - survivor relationships
Shirley Hogan is the owner and lead facilitator of Raven Workplace Mental Health Training and Consulting, delivering engaging, trauma-informed mental health and wellness workshops across Western Canada. With over 30 years of experience, Shirley has worked in crisis response, law enforcement, and community mental health, supporting individuals and communities impacted by trauma and violence. She is a former Manager of Education and Training with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Northern BC and served 15 years as a civilian member of the RCMP. In 2019, she was recognized as National Supervisor of the Year for her leadership within the Operational Communications Centre and Emergency Response Team. Shirley is known for her practical, compassionate approach, helping individuals and organizations build resiliency, increase psychological safety, and respond to trauma with confidence and care. She is passionate about reducing stigma and creating safer, more supportive workplaces.
Phoebe Long (she/her)
Research Manager
- Relational trust as the driving force in outreach with women experiencing gender-based violence
Phoebe is a Research Manager at Capacity: The Centre for Research in Community Engagement and Gender Equity at UBC. Phoebe has extensive practice and research experience working with women impacted by violence.
Maureen McEvoy (she/her)
Private Practice. MA, RCC-ACS – JIBC Instructor; BCACC Approved Clinical Supervisor
- Responding to requests for your counselling records
Many, many years ago Maureen was a volunteer with a sexual assault centre in Ontario. Intrigued by that experience, she changed careers, going back to school to earn her degree in Counselling Psychology. Since then, she has worked with many survivors of trauma – both historical and recent. She works with individuals, couples, and groups. She is a long-standing instructor with the Justice Institute of BC, teaching other counsellors skills for working with complex trauma. She was part of the team that developed the Stopping the Violence program in BC, including advocating for supervision being included in the contract. She also helped establish the Crime Victim Assistance program by providing extensive training. She provides clinical consultations to several therapists and agencies. She is a BCACC Approved Clinical Supervisor. She has written several articles and books. She is most known for writing “Balancing conflicting Interest: A Counsellor’s Guide to the Legal Process”, now in its 3rd edition. Another article includes one co-authored with Maggie Ziegler on countertransference in trauma groups.
Simona P. (she/her)
Family Advocacy Mentor Rise
- BC Protection Orders in Practice
Simona joined Rise in 2022. Working as a family law advocate since 2018, Simona has been on the ground with self-represented clients navigating family law and related legal systems. Simona has a bachelor’s degree in criminology. She was born in Macedonia and immigrated to Canada with her family in the 7th grade but currently lives on the lands of the Kwikwetlem First Nation. Simona comes to this work to help folks overcome barriers in access to justice and is eager to connect clients to the best resources (and to help resources do their best work). Simona is continuously inspired by her clients every day, and their strength and resiliency keep her motivated to keep doing her best work. When she is not at work, Simona tries to spend time with her family, friends, and her dogs every chance she gets.
Wendy Potter (she/her)
Director, Community Coordination for Survivor Safety (CCSS) EVA BC
- Centring Survivor Safety: Intimate Partner Violence Risk Identification and Assessment
Wendy has worked in the anti-violence field for over 20 years. She supported and advocated for sexual assault survivors at the Sexual Assault Service at BC Women’s Hospital, educated service providers and supported communities to improve their sexual violence response. Wendy also held roles as an STV counsellor, transition house worker, and Community-Based Victim Services (CBVS) worker.
Wendy is passionate about advocating for survivors of gender-based violence, especially those who face the greatest barriers to access services. She brings an intersectional feminist perspective to her work and a commitment to doing the work.
She is excited to work with the incredible people at EVA BC and around the province every day. She learns so much and every day is different.
In her spare time, Wendy enjoys reading, iced lattes, volunteering at The Dance Centre in Vancouver, supporting dance and the arts, spending time with family and friends, and being outside.
Jennifer Sherif
Award-winning educator, artist, activist, and founder of Indigevision.
- Privilege & Trauma-Informed Practice: How Facing the Challenges of Racial & Cultural Inequity Benefits and Heals Everyone
Jennifer Sherif, Ts’ah Ts’ah, is an award-winning educator, artist and activist, who as dedicated her life and career to educational, cultural and social justice, particularly when it comes to our Indigenous peoples. In 2022, Jennifer started Indigevision, a company that seeks to bring healing, as well as cross-cultural awareness through embracing diversity, education and reconcilAction. She and her team deliver meaning-making workshops, guest speaking/lecturing and consulting to entities such as non-profits, intergovernmental offices, and school districts in the areas of transforming lateral violence, Indigenizing mainstream and trauma-informed practice, educational trauma, cultural safety/responsivity and more. She is renown as a relationship broker, driven by the power of interconnectedness and building long-lasting, authentic and sustainable relationships.
Dr. Jewelles Smith (she/her)
Disability Human Rights Educator, Researcher, and Public Speaker
- Building Disability Confidence in Program Delivery and Supporting Disabled Survivors
Dr. Jewelles Smith is a globally sought-after disability human rights educator, researcher, and public speaker with over 20 years of experience. Smith holds an interdisciplinary PhD in Critical Disability and Gender Studies from the University of British Columbia (2021); completed a six-week Women’s Human Rights Monitoring Certificate at the Women’s Human Rights Institute, University of Toronto (2012); and is a trained International Disability Human Rights Monitor. As a disabled woman, her expertise incorporates comprehensive experiential and professional wisdom. In 2022, Dr. Smith launched Procne Navigation in response to the growing demand for comprehensive cross-disability education and anti-ableism training, research, and subject matter expertise. Guided by the mantra “When You Know Better You Do Better,” Smith brings a trauma-informed, intersectional lens to her work, collaborating with organizations to deliver tailored workshops, build curriculum, and provide support as a researcher and subject matter expert.
Meghan Toal (she/her)
Engagement Advisor for the Interior Region of BC at BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC)
- Engaging Men and Boys in GBV Prevention: Dialogue, Tensions, and Practical Pathways Forward
Meghan has the pleasure of working alongside Joel at BCOHRC as a member of the Engagement Team based in the traditional unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Peoples, serving as the Engagement Advisor for the Interior Region of the province for the past 5+ years. Prior to joining the BCOHRC team, Meghan primarily worked for 10+ years in the gender-based violence sector—both in frontline and prevention focused roles. She has extensive experience in community engagement and dialogue facilitation with diverse groups, as well as equity, justice and prevention education for adults, children and youth. With Joel, Meghan is also supporting the early development of BCOHRC’s next public awareness campaign. She is also the mother to 2 wonderful kids, Oscar and Reubin, who are aged 9 and 14.
Vanessa Waechtler (she/her)
Program Lead of Provincial Services, EVA BC
- The Power of Group: Group facilitation skills for supporting survivors of gender-based violence.
Vanessa received a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology from UBC and worked for ten years as a registered clinical counsellor in both the Peace for Children and Youth Experiencing Violence (PEACE) and Stopping the Violence Counselling (STVC) programs, supporting children and adults impacted by gender-based violence.
Vanessa has a passion for “helping the helpers.” In her role at EVA BC, she draws from her background in counselling to enhance anti-violence programs for both workers and survivors. She understands that although anti-violence work is incredibly rewarding, there is a high risk for burnout and compassion fatigue. She wants to help equip workers with all the tools they need to do this challenging work.
