Kwiks Tina7 nskwátsitsa. Nsnek̓wnúk̓wa7 Ts’kw’aylxwc Stl’atl’imx. My English name is Gena Edwards Kwiks Tina7 nskwátsitsa. Nsnek̓wnúk̓wa7 Ts’kw’aylxwc Stl’atl’imx. My English name is Gena Edwards from Ts’kw’aylaxw in the Stl’atl’imx Nation and is a matriarch in the Eagle wilp with the Nisga’a Nation.

Gena is the President of the British Columbia Native Women’s Association, co-founder of Sqwem-Sqwem Consulting, a Policy Advisor to the St’at’imc Chiefs Council and served as an elected leader in her community of Ts’kw’aylaxw.

Gena is passionate about Indigenous issues involving health, child welfare, human rights, MMIWG2S+ and our climate crisis. Gena comes from a long line of political Chiefs maternally and paternally since pre-contact. Gena is a strong advocate for the betterment of all Indigenous people on Mother Earth as we are all interconnected. Gena holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work and is always looking to close gaps on all issues affecting Indigenous people especially women, girls, and gender diverse people. Gena is passionate about sharing knowledge to help better assist initiatives for Indigenous people.

Odette Dempsey-Caputo is the Executive Director of the Community Legal Clinic Operating Society of BC and a lawyer with more than 18 years of experience working in access to justice and community-based legal services in British Columbia. Her practice has included family law, human rights, mental health law, poverty law, and matters involving intimate partner and family violence.  Throughout her career, Odette has worked extensively with individuals experiencing intimate partner violence and has seen firsthand the complex legal, social, financial, and systemic barriers that can affect a person’s ability to seek safety and access justice. She has also supervised lawyers, advocates, and law students providing trauma-informed legal services to vulnerable and underserved communities.  Odette is currently completing an LL.M. at the University of Ottawa, where her research focuses on access to justice in rural British Columbia. She brings a practical, trauma-informed and access-to-justice perspective to discussions about intimate partner violence and the legal system.

Paula supports individuals navigating family law matters in British Columbia. At her work, she provides guidance and support navigating the court system, assistance with family law forms and court processes, legal information, and public legal education. She is passionate about women’s empowerment, access to justice, and knowledge as a tool for greater independence and opportunity, empowering people with the legal knowledge they need to understand and advocate for their rights. She holds a law degree from Colombia, a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University Canada West, and is completing a Master's degree in Canadian Common Law from York university.

Accomplished executive, communications strategist, and elected municipal leader with extensive experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and complex public environments. Recognized for expertise in organizational leadership, stakeholder engagement, public relations, government relations, crisis communications, housing development, and community development.
Proven success leading large-scale organizational change, strengthening partnerships across sectors and levels of government, and building public trust through strategic communications and collaborative leadership.
Community enthusiast and relationship builder.

Jillian LeBlanc is an internationally recognized policy leader, socio-legal researcher, and decolonial legal scholar based in Paris, France. She is the Founder and Lead Consultant of Jillian LeBlanc Consulting, where she advises national governments, multilateral institutions, Indigenous governments, and civil society organizations on gender equality, human rights, inclusive governance, and intersectional policy evaluation. Raised on the unceded territories of the Nisga'a Nation, the Tsimshian Nation and the Wet'suwet'en people, she also spent over a decade working on the unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. Jillian has worked with organizations including the OECD, Global Affairs Canada, Digital Public Square, the Parliamentary Centre, Huu-ay-aht First Nations Government and the Sanare Centre. Her work has supported initiatives in Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Togo, Spain, and Myanmar. Jillian holds an LLM in Gender Studies and Law from SOAS University of London and is fluently bilingual in English and French.

Dialogue Discussion: Bilingual access to justice and the experiences of Francophone minority communities in British Columbia

Evans Oppong is a public health professional, author, community leader, and peer coach with expertise in men’s health, mental wellness, first aid, nutrition, and health equity. He holds an MSc in Public Health and is an AI Governance Professional (AIGP).

Evans is the founder and CEO of the Immigrant Men and Family Network of Canada (IMNC), where he creates supportive spaces for immigrant men and families. Through his research, writing, coaching, and community work, he advocates for healthier men, stronger families, and communities where people feel heard, supported, and empowered.

The Silent Struggle reflects his commitment to helping men confront the challenges they often carry in silence and encouraging meaningful conversations about health, healing, relationships, and legacy.

Certified Professional Business Coach - Thrive Business Strategies

Anna Harrison believes every woman has untapped potential waiting to be discovered. Through decades of business leadership, coaching, and mentoring, she has dedicated her career to helping women lead with confidence, navigate change with courage, and build lives and businesses that reflect their purpose. After owning and operating a successful business for 32 years, Anna now partners with business owners, leaders, and nonprofit organizations through Thrive Business Strategies, helping them create clarity, strengthen leadership, and turn vision into meaningful action. Her practical approach, combined with genuine encouragement, has made her a trusted coach and mentor to many organizations. Anna is a Certified Professional Business Coach (CPBC) and Certified Professional in Leadership Development (CPLD). She is an active member of the Professional Business Coaches Association (PBCA), a founding member of the Global Alliance for Professional Leadership Development (GAPLD), and a certified Everything DiSC and Extended DISC Partner. A passionate community leader, Anna has served in numerous volunteer leadership roles, including President of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and President of the Rotary Club of Kamloops West. Her contributions have been recognized with multiple business and leadership awards, including PBCA Coach of the Year. Anna considers it a privilege to encourage women to live with purpose, lead with courage, and become all they were created to be. She believes that we are stronger when we learn from one another, encourage one another, and walk alongside one another. Her message is simple: Don't do life or business alone.

Member of Parliament Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola

Canada Makes Femicide first-degree murder as all three major Criminal Code reforms become law. 

Speaking to Bill C-225, Bailey’s Law: Aiming to strengthen Canada’s Criminal Code in response to Intimate Partner Violence. 

Bill C-225 enacts stronger criminal measures to address intimate partner violence by:

• Treating murders that occur within a pattern of coercive or controlling behaviour toward an intimate partner as murders in the first degree

• Requiring courts to consider life imprisonment, with parole ineligibility of 10 to 25 years, when manslaughter is committed against an intimate partner in the context of such a pattern

• Creating a new offence for violent, threatened, or attempted violence against an intimate partner

• Extending the maximum period for detaining seized items

The Protecting Victims Act fulfills recommendations in the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report, the Renfrew County inquest, the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime’s report entitled Rethinking Justice for Survivors of Sexual Violence: A Systemic Investigation, and various parliamentary reports.

Megan Dykeman is the Managing Director of Strategics Canada and Interim Executive Director of the Richmond Community Foundation. She advises organisations on governance, strategy, policy and organisational change, helping leaders navigate complex decisions and put plans into action.  Megan brings more than 15 years of elected and public leadership experience. She served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Langley East and as British Columbia’s Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development and Non-Profits. Before entering provincial politics, she served three terms on the Langley Board of Education, including as Board Chair.  An accredited arbitrator and mediator, Megan has worked across government, community organisations and boardrooms. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and has completed negotiation training through Harvard’s Program on Negotiation. She brings a collaborative, practical approach to leadership, conflict resolution and organisational effectiveness.

Creative Responsibility: A systemic approach to empowerment, ethics, and community change

Kenneth Uchenna Obiakor is a knowledge translator and social impact practitioner whose work connects lived experience, research, and community action. At the Interior Women’s Centre Society, he helped bring program data and women’s experiences together in stories that supported organizational learning. His work asks what measures of success can show, what they may leave unexplained, and how the people receiving support understand the conditions shaping their lives.

Kenneth founded the Leadership Development Foundation for Civic Literacy in Nigeria, where he has designed learning and dialogue initiatives that encourage participation in public life. His experience across community organizations, government, and higher education informs his interest in equity, governance, and social responsibility. He has also contributed to sustainability initiatives at Thompson Rivers University.

Kenneth holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology, a Master in International Human Right Law, a diploma in Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and a post-baccalaureate diploma in Tourism Destination Development. Across his work, he is interested in how people affected by institutions can help shape the decisions those institutions make.