Empowering women ‘is in my DNA’ says Artsci’93 alumna

Farah Mohamed, Artsci’93, is a strong believer in women empowering women.

Her networking and passion for helping others has led to a long list of impressive jobs, including director of communications for the Deputy Prime Minister and chief administrative officer of the Malala Fund (the organization co-founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai).

She also pays it forward. One of her proudest achievements is launching Girls on Boards, a program which helps young emerging female leaders get a spot at the table on corporate boards.

“I’ll never shift away from empowering women,” says Mohamed. “It is in my DNA. If we can put young women on boards sitting beside heads of companies, think about the networks they are going to build, the confidence they are going to have, and the knowledge they are going to have.”

Over the years, Mohamed has been the recipient of mentorship and she likes to think she has also been a good mentor to others. She feels many women do not fully understand or utilize the power of mentoring.

“As we talk about International Women’s Day, I think it is something more and more women need to be plugged into,” says Mohamed said.

Mohamed has a long history of jobs and volunteer positions focused on making the community and the world a better place, including with Cameras for Girls, Music Canada, the Belinda Stronach Foundation, and RefugePoint (which helps refugees).

She is currently the chief operating officer of Canada’s Forest Trust which plants and maintains forests to fight climate change. Last year, the company planted 1.3 million tree seedlings to help companies and individuals offset their carbon footprint.

Mohamed is motivated to take on jobs where she is making a difference. Her desire to help others partially stems from her background. She came to Canada as a refugee almost 50 years ago when she was two years old with her parents who were fleeing Uganda to escape brutal dictator Idi Amin.

“What motivates me is trying to beat down injustices,” Mohamed says. “If everyone is not willing to do their part, the world won’t change.”

This story originally appeared on the Queen's Alumni website.