Aura Freedom International

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Aura Freedom International

Aura Freedom works to end men's violence against women/girls and human trafficking.

08/26/2026

She knew exactly what she was doing.

We've all learned something from Dolly. What a woman. What a human.

We love you, Dolly. Rest in peace. 💙

08/25/2026

Femicide is one of the most preventable forms of murder. When we truly commit to understanding a human rights issue like men's violence against women, we can work to prevent it.

Aura Freedom has long advocated for femicide education and training for actors in the criminal "justice" system, who continue to fail women, girls, and even children killed in the context of femicide.

Read Canada's new study on femicide here: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260805/dq260805a-eng.htm

08/20/2026

Barbara was with her sister when Brayden lifted himself out of a car window to throw the hitch at them as he and his friends drove by. As if he were playing a game.

Full parole has been granted to Brayden Bushby, who killed Barbara Kentner with a trailer hitch in a misogynistic attack in 2017.

This release comes after he was granted day parole in 2023, which was revoked in 2024 due to failing a breathalyzer test during a traffic stop, failing to remain at the scene after reversing into a vehicle, and being a suspect in a car theft.

He also got a new tattoo of a Confederate flag while on parole in 2023, which validates the plethora of academic research showing that men who murder Indigenous women and other women often subscribe to racist and extreme ideologies.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation says this decision sends a dangerous and misguided message. We agree. Decisions likes these tell our communities that Indigenous women’s lives are not important. And that they can be targeted with impunity.

This is femicide in Canada.
This is the genocide of MMIWG2S.

We stand in solidarity with the family and community of Barbara Kentner, who will never be the same.

08/19/2026

We have so much respect for humanitarian aid work.

It is crucial. And in post-disaster and conflict contexts, women and girls often have specific needs that extend far beyond the basic necessities of food, water, and shelter. As humanitarian contexts become more prevalent globally, we know that gender responsive solutions are essential.

Then risk of maternal and infant mortality increases in humanitarian contexts. Women and girls also face heightened risks of r**e, violence, exploitation, and other forms of gendered harm in displacement camps and humanitarian settings. Yet, violence against women and girls is often treated as secondary in humanitarian responses, in part because it is so deeply normalized and pervasive—not only during crises, but every day.

We recognize that, sometimes, violence can be perpetrated by humanitarian workers themselves.

At the same time, we have witnessed the incredible work of humanitarian aid workers firsthand and believe wholeheartedly in the vital role they play in supporting women, girls, and communities—often while putting their own safety at risk.

Aura Freedom’s global work has included humanitarian aid specifically designed to address gender-based violence and support women and girls. From the beginning, our work has centred and funded local solutions and supported initiatives led by local women.

We stand with all women and girls currently living in humanitarian contexts all over the world and advocate for solutions that prioritize their safety and dignity.

To learn more about our global work, visit aurafreedom.org/global.

08/18/2026

Members of Aura Freedom attended The Arab Women’s Gym free outdoor exhibit on display at the Aga Khan Museum Park.

La Salle de Gym des Femmes Arabes (The Arab Women’s Gym), is a photographic series by Moroccan-British artist, designer, filmmaker, and photographer, Hassan Hajjaj. In this series, Hajjaj places women at the centre of the often male-dominated world of sports. Featuring women actively participating in sports like soccer, boxing, and surfing, Hajjaj’s stunning images challenge stereotypes and invite viewers to reconsider their assumptions. His work celebrates the multi-layered complexity of Muslim identity and emphasizes our shared humanity.

recommended ⚡️🩵

08/17/2026

Kinda wild that we still laugh, despite everything.

Kinda wild that we’re still HERE. All of us. Doing this difficult work to end violence against women and girls.

The list of ‘wild’ things is endless. We’re so grateful to all of the beautiful humans who make Aura Freedom's work possible.

08/13/2026

Throwback to Casablanca, Morocco 🇲🇦 Aura Freedom was presenting our community-led research on child marriage at the Girls Not Brides global summit.

Morocco has a fierce feminist movement and it’s taught us a lot.

Recently, at least 10 Moroccan women running for parliament have been targeted with online abuse ahead of the country’s September elections, including repeated insults and derogatory descriptions, defamation, attacks on their private lives, and allegedly false or manipulated content designed to damage women’s political and personal reputations.

This type of violence has long been used to silence women in politics and public life. We’ve seen it all over the world. What’s new are the tools being used to perpetrate it, including AI.

Political violence against women can restrict their freedom of expression, sense of security, and ability to participate equally. It can also deter other women from entering public life altogether – which is precisely the point.

Women belong everywhere, including in politics and in public life.

08/12/2026

For Canada's largest city - and one that declared intimate partner violence and gender-based violence an epidemic - much more could have been done.

Read our full FIFA wrap-up summary and statement at aurafreedom.org/news

08/10/2026

Referenced in Police files as “Danforth Lady” and “Highway 401 Fire Victim”, two women found murdered in Toronto have finally been identified.

Mary McLeod Moffat, born in Scotland, was discovered beneath a Toronto building in 1995 by demolition workers. Mary's husband, now deceased, had operated a tire business adjacent to the location where her remains were discovered years later.

Patsy Flora Lagarde was born in Ontario with parents from Berens River First Nation and Long Lake #58 First Nation. She was found following a vehicle fire in 2004. The Office of the Fire Marshal determined the driver of the car had deliberately set it on fire and that Patsy had died before it was ignited, confirming its use to conceal her cause of death.

Neither of the prime suspects were ever charged with murder.

When we understand a social issue, we can prevent it. Femicide is not random violence. It is violence against women. Naming it matters, as does understanding its patterns and risk factors.

The recent identifications have restored these women’s names, reunited surviving families with answers, and brought new information about the circumstances of their deaths—while also highlighting indicators associated with femicide, including:

• Overkill — excessive violence, mutilation, or torture
• Public disposal of remains — leaving or hiding a victim’s remains in a public location

Femicide is not new, nor is it going away tomorrow. Understanding femicide and MMIWG is essential to preventing them. Every woman deserves to be remembered and honoured—not only in her life, but in the circumstances of her death.

For more information on femicide and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, visit our Femicide Knowledge Hub at aurafreedom.org/femicide

08/07/2026

A systemic issue requires a systemic response.

A housekeeping employee at SickKids has been arrested for child luring. This comes after one of their doctors was arrested for possessing child sexual abuse material last month.

In our open letter to SickKids last month, we urged leadership to initiate a robust, independent investigation into any potential abuse of Dr. Dissanayake’s patients and to ensure all potentially affected families received trauma-informed care and support.

SickKids responded. While their letter was thoughtful, it relied heavily on police findings and did not address our central concern: the institutional responsibility of one of Canada's leading children's hospitals to proactively safeguard patients and demonstrate accountability beyond the scope of a criminal investigation.

Following this second arrest, SickKids has announced it will engage external experts to review its current processes, controls, and safeguards to prevent harm to children. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and advocate for a response that places children's safety, institutional accountability, and trauma-informed care at its centre.

Read our original open letter and SickKids' response at the link in our bio.

Address

506 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
M5S 1Y3

Website

http://www.aurafreedom.org/

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