Recipients of the 2025 Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case

Damineh Akhavan

Damineh is an award-winning engineer, advocate, and community leader with nearly two decades of experience breaking barriers in the aerospace industry. As a Professional Engineer at De Havilland Aircraft of Canada and a Fellow of Engineers Canada, she combines technical excellence with a passion for change.

Damineh is the founder and CEO of Global Women in STEM, dedicated to advancing women’s human rights and increasing access to education for girls through advocacy, mentorship, and action.

Throughout her career, Damineh has driven justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion across every level, from local communities to global forums. She has spearheaded initiatives in women’s health, youth empowerment, STEM, and human rights.

She holds several leadership and advisory roles, including with the University of Victoria’s Faculty of Science Advisory Board, its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Council, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Board. She also chairs the Capilano University Engineering Program Advisory Council. Previously, she served as Chair of the West Vancouver Police Board, Co-Chair of the Institute for Change Leaders Alumni Association, and Director with the BC Society for Engineering and Geoscience and Women in Aerospace Canada.

Damineh actively champions women in leadership, equal representation in decision-making, and the efforts to end gender-based violence. She was invited by the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, to represent Canada at the United Nations for UNCSW67 and UNCSW69. She was also an expert participant and advisor to the UN/Canada Space4Women Expert Meeting 2023.

Above all, Damineh’s voice and actions are devoted to ensuring every woman and girl can learn, lead, and thrive.

Dr. Sandra DeLaronde

Dr. Sandra DeLaronde is a respected matriarch, Knowledge Keeper, and advocate dedicated to empowering Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Manitoba and beyond.

She is the Project Lead of Giganawenimaanaanig, the Implementation Committee of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. She stands as a powerful voice for Indigenous survivors and their families, working to end violence and ensuring their lived realities shape policies and actions at all levels.

At the University of Winnipeg, Dr. DeLaronde’s course “231 Calls for Justice” guides students through crucial discussions about the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. Her teachings provide an opportunity to develop Indigenous and community-based responses to the implementation of the Calls for Justice.

Throughout her career, Dr. DeLaronde has shown what ethical leadership can accomplish, building systems that honour Indigenous ways of knowing. Her life’s work stands as a testament to visionary thinking, cultural humility, and unwavering resilience, laying the foundation for a safer, more equitable future for generations to come.

Marjolaine Étienne

With 15 years of experience in social and community services, and two decades in political leadership, Marjolaine is a powerful voice for Indigenous women and a driving force for positive change across Quebec, Canada, and around the world.

As President of Quebec Native Women Inc. (QNW), she defends the interests of Indigenous women across Quebec with the goal of improving their living conditions through equality, justice, non-violence, education, health, and economic and social security. Her executive roles in media, regional development, and community organizations have seen her forge strong, lasting partnerships with First Nations, governments, and organizations at every level.

Marjolaine’s leadership is defined by concrete actions: she has founded vocational training centres, established influential women’s councils, and organized summits that unite and inspire. Her legacy includes co-founding the Mashteuiatsh Puakuteu Women’s Committee and launching the First Nations Executive Education – HEC Montréal / Women and Leadership Program, helping Indigenous women strengthen their skills and expand their networks. She is also a member of Women and Gender Equality Canada’s Indigenous Women’s Circle, which brings together Indigenous women leaders and subject matter experts from the public and private sectors to discuss the challenges they face and their priorities for advancing gender equality in Canada.

Internationally, Marjolaine is an advisor for the Unites Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples, allowing her to support Indigenous Peoples who take part in UN processes. She has also contributed to the conception of General Recommendation No. 39 on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which represents an important milestone in the recognition of their rights worldwide.

Recognized as a finalist for both the Thérèse-Casgrain Equality Award and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, as well as a recipient of the Lieutenant Governor’s Medal of Quebec, First Nations category, Marjolaine is celebrated for her unwavering integrity, her bold leadership, and her unfailing commitment to justice, inclusion, and the empowerment of Indigenous women.

Shianne Gordon

Shianne Gordon is an African Nova Scotian Two-Spirit Queer consultant and community advocate from Dartmouth, with deep roots in Africville. Drawing on over a decade of experience, she specializes in mediation, de-escalation, and violence prevention, focusing on marginalized youth, sexual violence survivors, and historically oppressed communities.

Her career began with grassroots initiatives like the CeaseFire gun violence prevention program and the Dartmouth North Boys and Girls Club’s Youth Outreach Program. Currently, Shianne leads intersectional efforts to combat sexual violence as the community navigator for the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre. She is also the ANS Sexual Violence Prevention Immobilization coordinator for the East Preston Family Resource Centre and co-developer of Nova Scotia’s Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence online course. She facilitates workshops on addressing youth exploitation and co-manages collaborative sessions as a citizen scientist and researcher at Dalhousie University.

Meseret Haileyesus

Meseret Haileyesus is a pioneering leader and multi-award-winning advocate for economic justice and women’s empowerment. She is recognized as the first woman in Canada to bring national attention to economic abuse — a form of abuse that limits someone’s control over money and financial independence.

Since 2000, Meseret has been a passionate champion for women’s and children’s well-being in Canada and around the world. Drawing on her lived experience and bold vision for change, she founded the Canadian Centre for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE) — the only national organization in Canada dedicated to ending economic abuse.

Under her leadership, CCFWE has introduced innovative programs and solutions, including Canada’s first economic abuse prevention mobile app, the annual #HelpUsRise2025 campaign, and new tools and technologies to support survivors. Meseret has also led national policy initiatives such as the National Economic Harm Policy Scorecard and Safe Payment Reform for E-Transfers, which empower governments, financial institutions, and industries to take action. Her policy influence helped advance the development of a National Economic Abuse Code of Conduct and inspired the inclusion of related measures in a federal pre-budget announcement in 2025.

Meseret is leading the initiative to have November 26 recognized as Economic Abuse Awareness Day in Canada, with plans to expand this recognition globally, through the United Nations. Her program Financial Resilience and Economic Justice have helped countless survivors rebuild their lives, and she further advanced this work by founding the Canadian Institute for Research on Economic Justice to strengthen evidence-based solutions.

Internationally, Meseret has brought the issue of economic abuse to major global platforms including the United Nations, World Bank, Internation Monetary Fund, and the World Planning Congress. In 2024, she co-founded the International Coalition Against Economic Abuse, building a united global response to this issue.

Her leadership and impact have earned her national recognition, including being named one of Canada’s Top 25 Women of Influence, and receiving the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Award (2020), Women of Inspiration Award (2021), and recognition among the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada. Above all, Meseret takes pride in being the devoted mother of her daughter, Nathania.

Rochelle Prasad (Youth recipient)

Rochelle Prasad is a leader, educator, and advocate for gender equality. As a young woman of Fijian descent and the first in her family to graduate from university, Rochelle knows what it is like to face barriers and how important it is to open doors for others.

When she was just 14 years old, she co-founded SPARK Foundation to help girls build confidence, learn life skills, and find their voices. Thanks to her vision, SPARK has supported more than 500,000 young people, many from marginalized backgrounds nationwide.

Rochelle’s passion for equality reaches beyond Canada. She has spoken at the United Nations and the World Bank, sharing the simple but powerful message that when girls are educated and empowered, the world changes for the better.

Today, Rochelle teaches at University Canada West and UC Berkley, where she shares her experience and knowledge with over 1,500 students. She designs courses that reflect real-life experiences of women and girls, helping her students see what is possible.

Whether speaking in a classroom or on the world stage, Rochelle lifts others up, showing that real change starts with community, courage, and giving everyone equal opportunities to learn and lead.