Réseau d'action pour l'égalité des femmes immigrées et racisées du Québec

What Réseau d'action pour l'égalité des femmes immigrées et racisées du Québec does

RAFIQ is a non-profit advocacy organization founded in March 2011 and headquartered in Montréal, Quebec. It is dedicated to defending the rights and promoting the equality of immigrant and racialized women in Quebec, addressing systemic barriers related to discrimination, non-recognition of foreign credentials, gender-based and honour-based violence, and economic inequality. Its primary beneficiaries are immigrant and racialized women across the province, including permanent residents, citizens, and refugees who face intersecting forms of marginalization.

The organization operates through community mobilization, policy advocacy, awareness campaigns, regional outreach tours, colloquia, webinars, workshops, and direct member engagement. Its flagship initiative is the RAC (Reconnaissance des Acquis et des Compétences) project — a multisectoral coalition of more than 15 partner organizations, including community groups, professional associations, government ministries, and academic bodies — focused on the systemic non-recognition of foreign diplomas affecting immigrant women. RAFIQ also runs awareness work on honour-based violence through the "Pour plus d'égalité" project, the "Qualifiées mais invisibles" sensitization campaign with video capsules and a podcast, and produces policy briefs, research reports, and the regional tour report "Vers l'égalité des chances." Its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website (rafiq.ca and rac.rafiq.ca), an email newsletter, social media channels, YouTube programming, and an online portal (app.rafiq.ca) offering a women's resource tool and an employer forum. The technology stack is non-proprietary and contains no software product or AI component.

RAFIQ is funded entirely through project-specific grants from Quebec and Canadian government ministries — the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration; the Secrétariat à la condition féminine du Québec; and Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada — together with private foundations such as the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon. There are no commercial products, no pricing structures, and no revenue from members or service beneficiaries; all publications, workshops, events, and advocacy outputs are provided free of charge. With eight employees, the organization is small, member-driven, and operates on a project-by-project grant cycle rather than commercial revenue mechanics.

Name

Réseau d'action pour l'égalité des femmes immigrées et racisées du Québec

Legal name

Réseau d'action pour l'égalité des femmes immigrées et racisées du Québec

Website

https://rafiq.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RAFIQ is a Montréal-based non-profit founded in 2011 that defends the rights and promotes equality of immigrant and racialized women in Quebec through policy advocacy, community mobilization, training workshops, publications, and its multisectoral RAC coalition addressing foreign credential recognition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit social advocacy services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Refugee Camp Coordination & Management (CCCM) (BPADAHAC)

Keywords

• Women's rights advocacy
• Immigrant women services
• Feminist policy advocacy
• Credential recognition support
• Community mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project-based government and foundation funding: RAFIQ's operations are funded through project-specific grants from government ministries (Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration; Secrétariat à la condition féminine du Québec; Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada) and private foundations (Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon). Funding is not generated from commercial revenue but from institutional grants tied to specific social action and advocacy projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RAFIQ is a non-profit advocacy organization that defends the rights and promotes equality of immigrant and racialized women in Quebec. It mobilizes, convenes, analyzes, and defines issues and action priorities for and with immigrant and racialized women, delivering awareness campaigns, training workshops, publications, policy advocacy, and the RAC (Reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences) project on foreign credential recognition.

Product overview

RAFIQ is a non-profit advocacy organization (organisme à but non lucratif) founded in March 2011, focused on defending rights and promoting equality for immigrant and racialized women in Quebec. It does not offer commercial software products but provides community programs, educational tools, publications, and awareness campaigns. Key offerings include the RAC (Reconnaissance des Acquis et des Compétences) project, which operates as a collaborative initiative and online platform (rac.rafiq.ca) aimed at countering systemic non-recognition of foreign diplomas affecting immigrant women; a documentation and publication repository; training workshops (ateliers); and a sensitization campaign titled « Qualifiées mais invisibles » (Qualified but Invisible) with video capsules and a balado (podcast). The organization also provides an online portal for women (app.rafiq.ca) and an employer forum tool. All offerings are oriented toward advocacy, community empowerment, and policy influence rather than commercial product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RAC (Reconnaissance des Acquis et des Compétences): A project and initiative led by RAFIQ focused on recognition of foreign credentials and competencies for immigrant women, with its own website at rac.rafiq.ca.

Products and services

• RAC Project (Reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences) A flagship multisectoral initiative and online platform (rac.rafiq.ca) led by RAFIQ that convenes over 15 institutional, community, and academic partners to counter the systemic non-recognition of foreign diplomas affecting immigrant women in Quebec. Includes awareness resources, regional tours, webinars, and policy recommendations.
• Awareness Campaign on Honour-Based Violence Project 'Pour plus d'égalité, renforçons la lutte contre les violences basées sur l'honneur au Québec' providing awareness activities, video capsules, and community mobilization against honour-based violence affecting immigrant and racialized women. Funded by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration.
• Domestic Violence Prevention in Immigrant Communities Project 'Faire des Communautées immigrantes, des espaces exempts de violence conjugale!' addressing domestic violence in immigrant communities. Funded by the Secrétariat à la condition féminine du Québec.
• Member Network and Mobilization Program A province-wide membership network for immigrant and racialized women and partner organizations in Quebec, enabling collective action, networking, and the annual general meeting for member engagement and democratic governance.
• Training Workshops and Ateliers In-person training workshops on topics including immigrant women's workplace rights, credential recognition, and sensitization, delivered across Quebec (Montreal, Sherbrooke, Drummondville, Longueuil).

Quantifiable outcome

• 45.2% of immigrant women graduates in Quebec occupy under-qualified jobs, compared to the general population
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Action travail des femmes (ATF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC (Reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences) multisectoral consultation body. ATF is a key predecessor organization whose prior initiative (2021–2023) on credential recognition RAFIQ's current project builds upon and amplifies.
• Table de concertation des organismes au service des réfugiés et immigrants (TCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. TCRI contributes expertise on refugee and immigrant services to the collective effort on credential recognition for immigrant women.
• Comité consultatif Femmes (CCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC consultation body. CCF organizes webinars and consultations on the dequalification of immigrant women, with RAFIQ staff presenting project updates.
• Conseil d'intervention pour l'accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC consultation body. RAFIQ participated in the unveiling of CIAFT's platform of recommendations for the valorization of predominantly female trades, linking credential recognition to broader gender equity in employment.
• Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. CDPDJ contributes a human rights perspective to the coalition's advocacy for systemic change in credential recognition.
• Institut de coopération pour l'éducation des adultes (ICÉA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC consultation body, also serving on the advisory/complementary committee. Contributes expertise in adult education to support the credential recognition project.
• Union étudiante du Québec (UEQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. Contributes the perspective of Quebec's university student community to discussions on credential recognition.
• Fédération étudiante collégiale du QuébecminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. Represents college-level student perspectives in the credential recognition advocacy coalition.
• Observatoire québécois des inégalitéscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. Provides research and data on social inequalities, supporting evidence-based advocacy.
• Groupe interuniversitaire et interdisciplinaire (GIREPS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the RAC advisory/complementary committee. Contributes academic research expertise to the credential recognition project.
• Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur (MES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. Government partner contributing to policy discussions on higher education and credential recognition frameworks.
• Ministère de la Condition féminine (Québec)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerObserver member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body. Provides government-level perspective on women's issues and funding for related projects.
• Comité consultatif personnes immigrantes (CCPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerObserver member of the RAC multisectoral consultation body.
• Fédération des Communautés Culturelles de l'Estrie (FCCE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community partner that hosted and supported the RAC project's regional tour stop in Sherbrooke (Estrie), providing logistical support and local network access.
• Centre des femmes de LongueuilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner that co-hosted one of the first stops of the RAC regional tour 'Vers l'égalité des chances' in July 2025.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fédération des femmes du Québec: Province-wide feminist federation in Quebec advocating for women's rights. Comparable as a broader feminist umbrella that overlaps with RAFIQ's intersectional advocacy but covers women generally rather than the immigrant/racialized sub-population specifically.
• Table de concertation des organismes au service des réfugiés et immigrants (TCRI): A Quebec-based coalition of refugee and immigrant-serving organizations. Directly comparable as a multisectoral convening body in Quebec's immigrant-serving ecosystem and an active member of RAFIQ's RAC consultation table.
• Y des femmes de Montréal (YWCA Montreal): Montreal-based women's services organization providing shelter, employment, and integration support. Comparable as a Montreal non-profit serving women including newcomers, with overlapping services around credential recognition and economic autonomy.
• Conseil d'intervention pour l'accès des femmes au travail (CIAFT): Quebec organization addressing women's access to non-traditional trades and credential recognition. Comparable as an RAC coalition partner tackling the same systemic credential recognition barriers affecting immigrant women.
• Action travail des femmes (ATF): Quebec non-profit focused on women's labour market access and the dequalification of immigrant women. Highly comparable as a predecessor initiative (2021-2023) whose work RAFIQ's RAC project explicitly builds upon.

Emerging players

• Colour of Change (Canada): Racial justice advocacy organization that has expanded into Canada. Comparable as a thematic peer advancing racial equity and combating systemic discrimination, intersecting with RAFIQ's anti-racism and immigrant/racialized women's mandate.
• Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés (Canadian Council for Refugees): National coalition advocating for refugee rights and immigrant integration. Comparable as a convening advocacy body on refugee and immigrant rights, with thematic overlap on the rights and integration of immigrant women in Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Equitas – Centre international d'éducation aux droits humains: Canadian human rights education organization working on equality and inclusion. Comparable as a broader human rights advocate with thematic overlap on anti-discrimination and women's rights programming.
• Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada (Women and Gender Equality Canada): Federal Canadian government agency advancing gender equality. Directly comparable as a current funder of RAFIQ and a broader institutional actor shaping the same policy terrain.
• Canadian Women's Foundation (Fondation canadienne des femmes): National foundation funding programs addressing gender-based violence, economic security, and inclusion. Comparable as a broader incumbent funder and policy actor that funds some of the same immigrant women initiatives and shares overlapping advocacy goals.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@rafiqinformation5035
• Facebookfacebook.com/rafiq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r%C3%A9seau-d-action-pour-l-%C3%A9galit%C3%A9-des-femmes-immigr%C3%A9es-et-racis%C3%A9es-du-qu%C3%A9bec
• Instagraminstagram.com/rafiq

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Réseau d'action pour l'égalité des femmes immigrées et racisées du Québec