Canadian Women

This interview was originally published by International Innovation.

Sheherazade Hirji, President and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation, wants to put the organisation out of business – envisioning a generation of empowered women, gender equality and an end to sexual violence.

Having dedicated your career to the philanthropic sector, you are committed to helping women and girls in Canada. What led you to your present role at the Foundation?

I actually qualified as a solicitor in England first, so I’m a ‘recovering’ lawyer. I came to Canada in the 1980s and qualified again, got called to the Bar and started to work in the area of philanthropy. I very quickly found that the work I was doing with foundations resonated with my own personal values much more than law.

I have always followed my intuition. So, making a deliberate shift out of law, I gained experience in different sectors within philanthropy, such as public, government and corporate foundations and a real estate company supporting women’s shelters. Working with women, girls, donors, men, corporations and government who are interested in making an impact on the lives of women and girls makes it a great privilege to be leading the Canadian Women’s Foundation.