Our vision
A region where every immigrant woman has the support, the bearings and the confidence to build a stable, autonomous and fulfilling life — and, in turn, to support others.
Who we are
A collective of immigrant women, here for those who follow.
The Alliance of Immigrant Women of Impact grew from a shared realization: no one understands the journey of arrival better than a woman who has lived it. We are those women, and we move forward together.
Our story
It began with outstretched hands
We arrived in Ottawa-Gatineau at different times, from different countries, with languages, careers and dreams of our own. Yet we all knew the same first days: the paperwork piling up, the credentials to have recognized, the weight of isolation and the confidence we had to rebuild.
Over time, we came to understand that what we had been through could become a resource for others. Where we had searched for information without finding it, we could now point the way. Where we had felt alone, we could welcome.
AFII grew from this collective desire: to turn our journeys into genuine support, carried not by a single voice, but by a group of women who choose, together, to reach out to those who follow.
Our purpose
Vision and mission
Our mission
To support immigrant women in Ottawa-Gatineau toward autonomy and fulfillment, through three complementary pillars: wellbeing, financial literacy and professional development.
What guides us
Our values
Four convictions shape everything we do.
Dignity
We welcome each woman as a whole person, strengthened by her story. Never a pitying gaze: we value the power to act.
Sisterhood
We move forward together, through mutual aid and listening. What is received is passed on; what is learned is shared.
Shared experience
Our legitimacy comes from experience. Being supported by those who have walked the same path changes everything.
Autonomy
Our aim is not to assist, but to equip: so that every woman takes back the reins of her socio-economic life.
Our approach
Shared experience is our strength
We do not support from above. We walk alongside. Because we have taken the steps of settling in ourselves, we know how to recognize the real obstacles — and the shortcuts that save time.
This closeness creates a rare climate of trust: you can speak without having to justify everything, ask the questions you wouldn’t dare ask elsewhere, and move forward at your own pace, without judgment.
Our goal is clear: to contribute to the socio-economic stability of the region’s immigrant women, so that they put down lasting roots and fully find their place.
Our governance
A collective board of directors
AFII is led by a volunteer board of directors, in the image of the collective that founded it. Governance is shared: no single figure stands above the group.
Chair
Board of directors
Vice-chair
Board of directors
Treasurer
Board of directors
Secretary
Board of directors
Director
Board of directors
Want to walk alongside us?
Whether you are looking for support or wish to offer it, there is a place for you within AFII.