Biographies of 2024 Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case Recipients

Sylvia Bashevkin

Sylvia Bashevkin is a dedicated, accomplished and forward-thinking leader in gender and politics. As a writer, public speaker and commentator, she has inspired and encouraged the political participation of diverse women, earning her a place among Canada’s leading activist scholars.

Sylvia Bashevkin’s research highlighted the political marginalization of women – a phenomenon largely overlooked when she began her career. She produced award-winning work that created a new foundation of knowledge, including her finding on how female candidates were often place in unwinnable legislative seats. This insight became central to reform efforts led by party women’s organizations as well as non-partisan groups where she actively volunteered, including the Committee for ’94, Equal Voice, and Fair Vote Canada.

Sylvia Bashevkin is a distinguished teacher, mentor and academic leader who has shaped generations of gender and politics scholars, mentored thousands of students and championed change within her profession. Notably, she became the first woman to serve as principal of University College, the founding college of the University of Toronto, established in 1853.

Her impact extends globally through visiting faculty appointments and invited lectures across Canada and internationally.

Janine Benedet, K.C.

Janine Benedet is an award-winning scholar, teacher, and advocate who has devoted her career to improving legal responses to sexual violence. 

A law professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), her published research – cited over 100 times by courts at all levels –has sought to improve the criminal justice system’s response to sexual violence against women and girls, with a particular focus on complainants with mental disabilities. She has contributed to judicial education on sexual assault law (including for the National Judicial Institute), focusing on eliminating sexist myths and stereotypes from trials. She has provided pro bono legal representation to women’s equality-seeking groups, like la CLES (Concertation des Luttes contre l’Exploitation Sexuelle), the Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (AWAN) and the disability rights organization Inclusion Canada, before the Supreme Court of Canada and other courts.

Janine Benedet has also devoted much of her career to opposing the criminal punishment of women in prostitution and demanding legal accountability for the men who harm them. Her efforts include public education, appearances before Parliament, and pro bono legal representation.  

She appeared as an expert witness in Canada’s first reported prosecution for the wilful promotion of hatred against women and has provided expert evidence on judicial misconduct in sexual assault trials. She is part of the Safe Sport committee for ViaSport BC that is addressing abuse, including sexual abuse, in amateur sport in British Columbia. At UBC, she helped launch the Rise Women’s Legal Centre and served as Chair of an expert panel on UBC’s Sexual Misconduct policy.  

Janine Benedet is a mother of two and a long-time Girl Guide leader.

Dr. Rabiya Jalil

Dr. Rabiya Jalil is a family physician, associate dean, and educator at the University of Calgary. Throughout her career, she has championed equity and access to healthcare for women and sexual minorities, both through her clinical practice and her educational initiatives.

As a physician, Dr. Jalil’s clinical practice includes a women’s health focus, with a strong commitment to caring for marginalized and at-risk populations. Her practice includes providing services at sexual and reproductive health clinics, working with the Calgary Sexual Assault Response Team, assisting in Gynecology surgery and providing obstetrical care.

Dr. Jalil has also led small and large-scale educational initiatives to enhance knowledge and awareness. Early in her career, Dr. Jalil advocated for the development of curricula for medical learners in critical areas like sexual violence and human trafficking, filling a gap that existed at the time.

She also collaborated with the Cumming School of Medicine to develop the Alberta Sexual Assault Course and Conference. This course is rooted in trauma-informed care, empowering providers to better support patients (disproportionately women) who have experienced sexual violence. Dr. Jalil received a grant from the Ministry of Arts, Culture & Status of Women in 2024 to assist in the provision of this essential training. 

Moreover, Dr. Jalil is currently developing a yearlong R3 Enhanced Skills training program for family physicians, aimed at expanding their expertise in sexual and reproductive health after residency, set to launch in 2025. Prior to securing funding and being appointed as program director, she undertook this initiative entirely on a voluntary basis, showcasing her commitment through extensive advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and the creation of robust educational programming.

In addition to her extensive work in education she has also contributed to sexual violence and trauma informed medical education research.

Jean Parris

Jean Parris has dedicated her life to the service of others. As an obstetrics nurse, she guided women in developing the skills needed to care for newborns and supported them in adjusting to the challenges of new motherhood.

While fulfilling her nursing functions, she became aware of the limitations imposed on women’s power, particularly within the nursing profession. Since most nurses during her tenure were female, she found herself confronting the intersecting realities of women and nurses in society, as well as institutions.

A woman of action, Jean Parris recognized that improving the conditions for women in healthcare establishments, required challenging the conditions under which they worked. To address this, she became a Labour Relations Consultant, playing a pivotal role in advocating for changes that benefitted women, nurses and the intersectionality of women in nursing. These changes laid the groundwork for ongoing improvements, making it clear that her interventions were foundational to the evolution of nursing today.

As an immigrant herself, Jean has been deeply committed to the integration and advancement of immigrants in Canadian society. From 1994-1996, she was a member of the Mayor of Montreal Advisory Committee on Inter-cultural Affairs, where she focused on caring for the victims of intimate partner violence.

In her new role as a pastor, Jean Parris continues to advocate for women and girls both nationally and internationally. She has supported education and hunger relief efforts in a Kenyan village, by providing school supplies and financial aid for children.

Jean Parris has remained steadfast in her vision of the vital role of women, a perspective she first embraced in the 1960s and carried through the 1980s. This vision continues to drive her, and she is committed to continue pursuing.

Nicole White

Nicole White is a queer Cree Métis woman and mother from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She dedicates her life to social justice, amplifying rights of women and girls through professional and volunteer work. As Project Lead for Enough Already Saskatchewan, she provided training and resources to prevent workplace sexual violence in province-wide businesses and non-profit organizations.

With an academic background in Indigenous Social Work from the First Nations University of Canada, Nicole While’s advocacy started during her undergrad when she was hired as a Pride Centre Coordinator for the University of Saskatchewan Students' Union.

She then founded Moon Time Connections (MTC), a flagship project of True North Aid, a national Indigenous-led period equity group supporting Indigenous menstruators across Turtle Island with access to menstrual products and education. Over the course of seven years, with expanding chapters in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia, MTC distributed over 4 million period products to schools, midwifery organisations, health care centres, Friendship Centres, shelters, and food banks.

Nicole White made groundbreaking contributions to Saskatchewan’s legal history by advancing queer rights on three significant occasions. In 2004, she successfully challenged the provincial government, leading to the legalization of same-sex marriage, and her name being cited in the Supreme Court of Canada ruling.

In 2021, through her persistent advocacy during her pregnancy journey, "Alice’s Law" was passed, removing the requirement for parents to be biologically related in order to be listed on their child’s birth certificate.

Additionally, Nicole White advocated to include “gender identity” in the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, transforming the lives of women, lesbians, and queer individuals across the country.

Joëlle Kabisoso Kapinga (Youth Recipient)

When Joëlle Kabisoso was 17 years old, she endured a horrific, racially motivated assault by five boys, who posted an explicit video on Twitter accompanied by a deeply racist message. 

Despite her determination to seek justice, when she reported the incident to police, she was met with victim-blaming remarks such as, “Maybe next time, you shouldn’t drink too much,” suggesting complicity and denying her the protection she deserved. 

Joëlle Kabisoso's advocacy journey began in 2018 with the Violence 360 campaign under Ontario’s Black Youth Action Plan, where she fought for improved support services for Black survivors of sexual assault. She later founded Sisters in Sync, an organization dedicated to amplifying survivors’ stories, promoting self-esteem, addressing systemic barriers, and expanding survivor-led advocacy. Under their advocacy mandate, Sisters in Sync launched the #MaybeNextTime Campaign, challenging victim-blaming and reshaping justice approaches with the message, “There Shouldn’t Be a Next Time.”

Since 2020, Joëlle Kabisoso has actively collaborated with author Kharoll-Ann Souffrant, contributing to "Privilège de dénoncer (Le): Justice pour toutes les victimes de violences sexuelles," and has been highlighted in Léa Clermont-Dion’s book "Porter plainte" as well as various reports by Western University’s GBV Learning Network. She currently sits on the Hate Crime Case Review Team, a special task force created in collaboration with the Hamilton Police Services and other communities and organisations in Hamilton.

Her advocacy has earned national recognition, including the 2023 Youth Leader Award (BlackNorth Initiative), 2022 L'Oréal Paris Women of Worth Award, 2021 YWCA Young Trailblazer Award, 2021 John C. Holland Award and 2021 Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada.

She was honoured with the Young Alumni Award from Brescia University College, becoming only the second woman of African descent to receive this recognition in the college's 100+ year history.