Samra Zafar

Samra Zafar is an award-winning international speaker, bestselling author, and social entrepreneur who advocates for equity, inclusion, and human rights.

After escaping a decade of abuse living as a child bride in Canada, she pursued her education as a single mother working multiple jobs. She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Toronto with the highest distinction, winning over a dozen awards and scholarships. She then began a successful corporate career in finance.

While graduating from University of Toronto, Samra began to share her personal story in order to raise awareness about intimate partner abuse and in the hopes of empowering women to pursue their dreams and independence. Her work has since been featured in hundreds of interviews and articles in both the Canadian and the international media. Her speaking portfolio includes three TED Talks, and speeches to UNICEF, Yale University, Art of Leadership, and many leading non-profits, corporations and universities across the world. She is one of the youngest alumni to serve as a governor for the University of Toronto, and is a Celebrated Ambassador for Plan International campaign to end child marriage. She has been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women (2019), and has also received a 2019 Top Twenty-five Canadian Immigrants Award.

Samra lives in Toronto with her two daughters and is an avid traveller.