Refugee Women's Network

What Refugee Women's Network does

Refugee Women's Network (RWN) is a Toronto-based non-profit organization founded in 2016 by Executive Director Zein Dhanidina that delivers a portfolio of free virtual programs to refugee and new immigrant women across Canada and internationally. All services are offered at no cost and delivered live via Zoom, with selected content (notably the Canadian Citizenship Classes) provided entirely in Dari for Afghan women. The organization's mission is to empower refugee and newcomer women to integrate into Canadian society through education while retaining their cultural identities.

RWN operates seven core programs via Zoom: Empower to Power (English instruction at Canadian Language Benchmark Levels 1–6 taught by certified TESL instructors), Women Helping Women (confidential support groups and counseling referrals), Gender-Based Violence education and police liaison support, Digital Empowerment (basic computer, email, and Zoom skills), Financial Literacy (budgeting, banking, RESP/RRSP, with VISA Practical Money Skills content translated into Farsi/Dari), Economic Empowerment (entrepreneurship and small business training), and Canadian Citizenship Classes taught entirely in Dari. Curriculum is differentiated by women-only safe spaces facilitated by women, CLB-aligned content, and Dari/Farsi translation layers. Corporate technology partners — notably VISA Canada and Human IT — supply devices and IT support so participants without hardware can join virtual sessions.

The revenue model is donation- and grant-based, not commercial. Core funding comes from the Government of Canada for settlement and integration programming, supplemented by individual donations processed through the CanadaHelps platform (one-time, monthly recurring, and securities donations with tax receipts) and corporate sponsorships from VISA Canada, Hyundai Canada, Weins Canada, Sakuma Ltd, and Computron. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that is 70% women and 100% women of colour, many of whom were former immigrants to Canada, and operates with no physical drop-in facility — all appointments are virtual only.

Name

Refugee Women's Network

Legal name

Refugee Women's Network

Website

https://refugeewomensnetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Refugee Women's Network is a Toronto-based non-profit that delivers free virtual programs — English classes, digital and financial literacy, mental health support, gender-based violence assistance, entrepreneurship training, and citizenship preparation — to refugee and immigrant women across Canada and worldwide via Zoom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refugee and Immigrant Women's Settlement Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integration & Inclusion Services (Housing, Education, Employment) (BPADAHAI), Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

Keywords

• Refugee women support
• Settlement programs
• English language training
• Digital literacy education
• Nonprofit community services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations through CanadaHelps platform. One-time and monthly recurring gift options available. Also accepts securities donations (publicly traded securities, bonds, mutual funds) with tax receipts for full appreciated value.
2. Government Funding: Funded by the Government of Canada for settlement and integration programs supporting refugee and immigrant women.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Refugee Women's Network delivers free, women-only virtual programs via Zoom to refugee and new immigrant women across Canada and globally. Core offerings include Empower to Power (English language classes at CLB Levels 1-6 taught by certified TESL instructors), Women Helping Women (peer support and counselling referrals), Gender-Based Violence support, Digital Empowerment, Financial Literacy, Economic Empowerment (entrepreneurship training), and Canadian Citizenship Classes taught entirely in Dari for Afghan women.

Product overview

Refugee Women's Network operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of virtual programs delivered via Zoom to refugee and new immigrant women across Canada and globally. The core offerings include Empower to Power (English language classes at levels 1-6), Women Helping Women (support groups), Gender-Based Violence support, Digital Empowerment (technology skills), Financial Literacy, Economic Empowerment (entrepreneurship), and Canadian Citizenship Classes in Dari. All programs are free, offered virtually, and designed to help women overcome language barriers and build sustainable skills for economic self-sufficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Empower to Power (English Language Classes) Virtual English language instruction program for refugee and new immigrant women, offering levels 1-6 based on Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) guidelines, taught by certified TESL instructors. Delivered via Zoom to women across Canada and worldwide.
• Women Helping Women
• Gender-Based Violence Program
• Digital Empowerment
• Financial Literacy
• Economic Empowerment
• Canadian Citizenship Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 women served through Women Helping Women support
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Human ITcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorporate supporter providing IT support for digital empowerment programs. Helps ensure technology access for refugee women.
• CanadaHelpscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline donation platform enabling one-time and monthly donations as well as securities donations. Provides tax receipts and payment processing for donor contributions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FCJ Refugee Centre: Toronto-based refugee support organization offering settlement assistance, language support, and women's services. Directly comparable as a Toronto-area refugee-focused nonprofit with similar beneficiary population.
• COSTI Immigrant Services: One of the largest immigrant-serving agencies in the Greater Toronto Area, offering language training, settlement, and employment support. Directly comparable as a GTA-based refugee and immigrant services NGO with government-funded programming.
• Polycultural Immigrant & Community Services: Large GTA-based immigrant services agency offering language training, settlement, and youth programs. Comparable as a regional immigrant services NGO with government settlement funding.
• Mennonite New Life Centre: Toronto-based nonprofit serving newcomers and refugees with language classes, settlement support, and women's programs. Comparable as a community-based immigrant services organization with a similar program mix.
• Culture Link Community Services: Toronto-based settlement organization serving newcomers with language, employment, and integration programs. Comparable as a community-based immigrant services peer with a similar service model.
• Skills for Change: Toronto-based nonprofit providing language, employment, and integration services to newcomers and refugees. Directly comparable as a settlement-focused organization with a similar language and skills training mission.

Others

• Islamic Relief Canada: Canadian humanitarian organization serving refugee and newcomer communities, including Afghan populations. Comparable as a nonprofit serving overlapping beneficiary communities with settlement and integration support.
• Canadian Council for Refugee Women: National refugee advocacy organization with a women's committee. Comparable as an umbrella body advancing refugee women's rights and integration in Canada.
• Network for Advancement of Black Communities: Canadian nonprofit supporting Black communities including newcomers and refugees. Comparable as a community-led organization with similar equity-focused settlement and integration programming.

Regional players

• Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office: Community services organization serving the Thorncliffe neighbourhood in Toronto, which has a large Afghan newcomer population. Comparable as a regional community organization serving many of the same newcomer women in the GTA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Refugee Women's Network