Nayyar Javed
Nayyar Javed immigrated to Canada in 1969 from Pakistan, eventually moving to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with her husband in 1980.1 In Pakistan, Nayyar taught critical psychology, encouraging her students to challenge religious, cultural, and societal stereotypes and expectations that reinforced sexist beliefs. After struggling to find a foothold in the workforce in Canada, Nayyar returned to school and earned her Master of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in 1989.
In 1986, while still a student, Nayyar first came into contact with the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW-ICREF) after volunteering to assist Associate Professor Kathleen Storrie in organizing a conference for the Institute in Saskatoon.2 This early connection preceded her entry into practice as a therapist at the Mental Health Clinic and later the Saskatoon Community Clinic following the completion of her graduate degree.3 She would eventually become a registered psychologist with the Saskatchewan College of Psychologists in 2002.4
In her early career, Nayyar joined the regional chapter of Immigrant Women of Saskatchewan (now International Women of Saskatchewan or IWS), an organization dedicated to helping female newcomers, immigrants, and refugees adjust to life in Saskatchewan.5 Through this work, she reconnected with CRIAW-ICREF in 1988, when she presented to its research committee on behalf of IWS as part of a research project on new reproductive technologies. The project marked one of the first times that female advocates outside academia and the health sector contributed to processes shaping health policy and regulation.6
Nayyar became President of the IWS in 1995 and served as a delegate on behalf of the organization at the United Nations (UN) Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.7 In the lead-up to the conference, CRIAW-ICREF acted as the secretariat, serving as a clearing house for information and support to Canadian women participating in the pre- and post-Beijing process.8 It also coordinated Canadian women’s groups in the production of Take Action for Equality, Development, and Peace, which contributed to the Beijing Platform for Action. The platform was subsequently adopted by the Government of Canada in 1995 and informed the development of the Gender-Based Analysis framework.9 In a 2019 interview, Nayyar reflected that CRIAW-ICREF’s participation in the Beijing process was both shaped by, and influential within, broader international women’s movements.10
In the early 1990s, Nayyar also served as the Saskatchewan Regional Representative for the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, providing insight into issues affecting women in Saskatchewan. In the early 2000s, she joined the Women’s Coalition for Economic Justice (now the Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice) through which she g she engaged more directly in international advocacy, including organizing non-governmental organization (NGO) participation in a ministerial meeting with the World Trade Organization. For her contributions to community work, she received Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2023.
Despite initially feeling uncertain about her place within CRIAW-ICREF, Nayyar officially joined in 1997. She credits former Executive Director Lise Martin and others with helping build her confidence, which led her serving as president of CRIAW-ICREF from 2001 to 2003.11 During her term as president, CRIAW-ICREF launched the Participatory Action Research (PAR) forum, leading to workshops across Canada and the development of Participatory research and action: A guide to becoming a researcher for social change, a tool to encourage PAR research that was published in 2002. In 2000, the organization also published A Resource Guide for Women’s Studies Practica: Students Linking Academe and Community, produced with the Network for New Approaches to Lifelong Learning, which supported stronger links between community and academia.12
Since her presidency, Nayyar has continued to work with CRIAW-ICREF, including contributing to the development of the UN Sustainable Development goals on its behalf in 2015. She has also attended UN meetings every year since 1997 on representing NGOs – including as a member of the UN NGO Committee on Mental Health – and CRIAW-ICREF.13
Reflecting on her experience with CRIAW-ICREF, Nayyar notes:
“CRIAW did more for me than I did for CRIAW. CRIAW gave me a sense of belonging; [it] gave me the space to develop my feminism and continuously carry on that process. All because of CRIAW. I am really, really grateful.”
References
City of Saskatchewan. “Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal Recipients 2023.” Accessed June 2026. https://www.saskatoon.ca/sites/default/files/ 2023%20Queens%20Platinum%20Jubilee%20Medal%20Recipient%20List.pdf
“Education Is the Key to Combatting Racism.” Saskatchewan Indian, May/ June 1990. Accessed June 2026. https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/ cdc/saskindian/a90may08c.htm?nodisclaimer=1
Governor General of Canada. “Ms. Nayyar Javed: Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).” Accessed June 2026. https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/125-30197
International Women of Saskatoon. “Who we are.” Accessed June 2026. https://iwssaskatoon.org/about-us/who-we-are/.
Javed, Nayyar. Global Enemy – Divided Feminists – Racism in the Women’s Movement.” Northern Women vol. 14, no. 3 (October 1992): 6. https://riseupfeministarchive.ca/wp-content/uploads/1992-Vol-14-No.-3.CV01.pdf
Javed, Nayyar. Interview by MacKenzie Gott. Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women. June 2, 2026. Zoom recording and transcript.
Javed, Nayyar. “News From the Regions: Saskatchewan.” Feminist Action vol. 5, no. 1 (October 1990): 4. https://riseupfeministarchive.ca/wp-content/uploads /FeministAction-06-01-apr1991-OCR.pdf
Javed, Nayyar. “News From the Regions: Saskatchewan.” Feminist Action vol. 5, no. 3 (February 1991): 4. https://riseupfeministarchive.ca/wp-content/uploads/ FeministAction-05-03-feb1991-OCR.pdf
Javed, Nayyar. “News From the Regions: Saskatchewan.” Feminist Action vol. 6, no. 1 (April 1991): 4. https://riseupfeministarchive.ca/wp-content/uploads /FeministAction-06-01-apr1991-OCR.pdf
Javed, Nayyar. “Refugee Women: dislocated and ignored.” Our Voice vol. 1, issue 3 (July 1994): 18-19. https://riseupfeministarchive.ca/periodical/ our-voice-vol-1-issue-3-july-1994
Piccin, Kyla. “Intersectionality at CRIAW-ICREF.” Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, 2019.
Professional Counselling Associates. “Meet our therapists.” Accessed June 2026. https://www.counsellingsaskatoon.ca/meet-our-therapists#nayyar-s-javed-ma
Rajput, Ali. “Putting Down Muslim Roots in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, 1964-2000.” University of Saskatchewan Retirees Association. Published May 2022. Accessed June 2026. https://usra.usask.ca/documents/presentations /putting-down-muslim-roots.pdf
Rogers, Diane. “Ordinary women cited as highlight.” The Western Producer, September 28, 1995. https://www.producer.com/news/ordinary-women-cited-as-highlight/.
Saskatchewan College of Psychologists. “Summary: Javed, Nayyar.” Saskatchewan College of Psychologists: Directory of Psychologists. Accessed June 2026. https://secure.skcp.ca/DirectoryofPsychologists.php?action=print&rID=223
United Nations. “Fourth World Conference on Women, 4-15 September 1995, Beijing, China.” Accessed June 2026. https://www.un.org/en/conferences/women/beijing1995