After finding asylum in Canada, 19 Afghan women judges began the English for Academic Purposes program at Centennial College this school year. Their enrolment is made possible by bursaries provided by the College, which covers the cost of textbooks and two semesters in the program.
The Afghan women judges are among a cohort of 40 who were welcomed to Canada last year, along with their families, as government-assisted refugees. Their work as judges made them targets when the Taliban took over in Afghanistan.
Helped by the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges, the Afghan women judges are re-settling in Canada as permanent residents. Two dozen of them are rebuilding their lives in Ontario, many in the Greater Toronto Area including Scarborough.
The Afghan women judges arrived in Canada already possessing undergraduate degrees in Sharia law. The English for Academic Purposes program will help them develop English language proficiency, empowering them to pursue meaningful education and job opportunities in their new home.
Chair Trish Coles will receive the Canadian Bureau for International Education’s prestigious Equity Diversity and Inclusion Award in November for her leadership in this initiative.