CCFWE CEO Honoured as Woman of Worth

OTTAWA, Feb.22, 2021 – When a woman wants to leave an abusive relationship, her financial situation is a critical factor in her ability to do so. Abusers know this, which may partly explain why 95 percent of women who experience intimate partner violence also experience Economic Abuse.

Economic Abuse—which occurs when a domestic partner interferes with a partner’s access to finances, employment or social benefits, such as fraudulently racking up credit card debt in their partner’s name or preventing their partner from going to work—has a devastating effect on victims and survivors of domestic partner violence, yet it’s rarely talked about in Canada.

Meseret Haileyesus, Founder and Executive Director of the Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE), has been tirelessly working to change that. Through the CCFWE she seeks to educate the public about Economic and Financial Abuse and help survivors rebuild their financial independence.

Today, Haileyesus was recognized for her critically important work by L’Oréal Paris Canada, which named her a 2021 Women of Worth Honoree in its fifth annual Women of Worth program. The program selects 10 remarkable women making an extraordinary difference in their community through philanthropic work and awards them a $10,000 financial gift.