Samra Zafar 

Samra Zafar is an award-winning international speaker, best-selling author, scholar and social entrepreneur who advocates for equity, inclusion, human rights, youth empowerment, and life after trauma.

After escaping a decade of abuse living as a child bride in a forced marriage in Canada, and sharing her story, Samra became a beacon of hope for many people facing exclusion, abuse, and gender-based violence. In 2017, Samra's article in Toronto Life became a most-read article in Canada, and her TEDx was named an all-time top 10 talk on gender-based violence. Her first book, A Good Wife, published by HarperCollins Canada, became a bestseller in its first week, has been highlighted as a top read by national media outlets as well as The Washington Post. 

Samra is also one of 30 top rising leaders in Greater Toronto and Hamilton area, selected as a 2019 DiverseCity Fellow by CivicAction Leadership Foundation. Samra is the founder of Brave Beginnings, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting abuse survivors in their journey to build a life of freedom. Her passion is to motivate and empower all people to believe in themselves - no matter their circumstances.

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