Board of Directors
Nancy Zhang
Board Chair
Nancy is an IT Professional working as a Senior Business Analyst in Insurance industry. She immigrated to Canada in 2001 from China. Nancy believes in gender equality, which is not only a fundamental human right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world. She joined IMWAH in June 2020. She is passionate to work with people from diverse backgrounds and support women and girls who need help.
Joanna Strzelec-Stewart
Board Co-Chair
Originally from Poland, Joanna joined IMWAH because she’s passionate about gender equity and building a community of strong, supportive women. Professionally she wore many hats, from creating advertising for international brands, owning home decor stores to helping newcomers enter the Canadian job market. Joanna’s favourite pastime is reading while sipping good coffee and listening to jazz. She loves entertaining and cooking for friends or family.
Genesis Lacsa
Board Treasurer
Genesis Lacsa moved from the Philippines to Canada to complete her Bachelor of Commerce degree with a major in Accounting. A CPA holder, she began her career in public accounting and now contributes her expertise to a growing start-up fintech company. Passionate about supporting immigrant and migrant women, Genesis actively advocates for inclusion and empowerment, drawing on her own experiences to inspire and uplift others.
Nenyo Kwasitsu
Nenyo Kwasitsu advocates for gender equality, equity and the advancement of newcomer women like myself.
She manages the Master of Health Services Research Graduate Program across four campuses, UNB, UPEI, SMU and MUN.
As a board member of the Immigrant Migrant Women’s Association of Halifax (IMWAH) her work currently focuses on helping newcomer women to empower themselves through her role as Treasurer and member of various Committees on the IMWAH Board.
Shweta Pai
Shweta Pai is passionate about advancing gender equality in society. Having volunteered with IMWAH, she realized that there are many women who need help and could benefit from having a network of strong and supportive women.
She is a product manager in the healthcare industry and is passionate about digitally solving the several unmet needs of our patients.
Ebun Oladele
Ebun Oladele is passionate to advance gender equality and the representation of racialized women in society. Experienced Programs specialist and volunteer professional with demonstrated history of working in the Post-Secondary and non-profit management sector.
An advocacy enthusiast with a Master of Science (MSc.) in Applied Peace and Conflict Studies and a Master of Arts (MA) in Women and Gender Studies.
Eva Martinez
Eva Martinez is passionate about identifying and breaking down barriers for women and young girls. As an immigrant from Spain, she has had a front row seat watching how her family had to overcome the challenges of moving to a new country and hopes to parlay her lived experiences into service for others. Eva works in the aerospace and defence sector and volunteers extensively with various organizations that align with her core values and empowers others to live their best lives with purpose. For her dedication and service to the province, Eva was recently awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for her contributions.
Genesis Lacsa
Gianisa Adisaputri is a PhD Candidate at Dalhousie University's School of Social Work, passionate about making healthcare more accessible for immigrant women in rural Nova Scotia. Originally from Indonesia, Gianisa worked as a physician before moving to Canada, and she also holds a master’s degree in emergency management. She now contributes her skills to various projects at the Resilience Research Centre and the School of Nursing, where she focuses on improving health equity for underserved populations.
Outside of work, Gianisa is a mom of two who loves to unwind by trying out new recipes in the kitchen, baking, and cooking. She’s excited to bring her knowledge and life experiences to support the well-being and resilience of immigrant women..
Honorary Member
Felicia Eghan
Drs. Felicia Eghan is a relationship Coach, mediator and educator. She helps clients to build better functional marriages and families. She holds certificates in SYMBIS (Save Your Marriage before It Starts) and Marriage Enrichment from ENRICH Canada. Felicia is also a graduate and licensed member of Relationship Coaching Institute (RCI), and holds a mediation certificate from Henson College, Dalhousie University.
María José Yax-Fraser
María José is an indigenous woman in the diaspora. She is an artivist and a scholarly and community research practitioner. She is a founding member of IMWAH and a strong advocate of gender equality, equity and the advancement of women. She has worked in settlement and migration, including forced migration, since she arrived in Halifax in 1991. She is a mother of three young adults who have inspired her to pursue her academic interest on the experiences of cross-cultural mothering. She is a PhD candidate in Social Anthropology. Her doctorate research study explores the meaning of a welcoming community for immigrant and migrant mothers in Halifax. She also has a personal interest in the rights of indigenous people in the Americas. She loves to cook Guatemalan food for her family and enjoys spending relaxing moments and walks with family and friends.