Interview – Syncmag publication by Tabish Bhimani
Almas Jiwani, President of UN Women Canada National Committee and CEO of Frontier Canada Inc, is a fiercely vocal and internationally renowned champion for gender equality and women’s social, economic, and political empowerment.

A model of perseverance and determination, Ms. Jiwani’s efforts to strengthen women’s economic capacity as entrepreneurs and producers has earned her accolades. She plays a crucial role in building networks among charitable institutions and socially responsible businesses. She has fostered pivotal ties between UN Women and the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of the Americas (FIPA) and the Parliamentary Confederation of Americas (COPA).
Ms. Jiwani has gained international recognition and commendations from governments and the media and has been honored with numerous awards globally for her work on gender equity and women’s empowerment.

TB: As a world renowned most prominent humanitarian and women’s equality expert, please tell us what led you to be passionate about the issue of gender equality?
AJ: I must admit that I became an ardent supporter of gender equality from the earliest age that I can remember. Perhaps one of the most important ideas that I’ve adopted since my childhood is that of “service above oneself.” I owe my humble beginnings in international development, prior to my mandate with the United Nations Women National Committee Canada, to the exceptional work of institutions in the Aga Khan Development Network, and Focus Humanitarian Assistance. They operate in some of the most inhospitable and backward sectors of civil society and provide an enabling environment for humanity, an environment where women are able to flourish under the umbrella of social and ethical responsibility in a culturally, religiously pluralistic ethos and pathos for the greater good of humanity.