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ABOUT US

Management

Wilhelmine Babua

Wilhelmine Babua

Managing Director

Wilhelmine Babua holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a minor in Sociology, as well as a Certificate in Women's Intervention from Laurentian University in Ontario. Currently, she is working on her Master’s thesis in Social Work, focusing on the impact of domestic violence on the mental health of child witnesses aged 0 to 17 within the context of Francophone immigration in Canada. Recently, she worked as a social worker at the Viamonde School Board, and she currently works as an interventionist at La Maison de Toronto. She is a registered member of the Ontario College of Social Workers.

 

Wilhelmine has extensive experience in the field of education, having worked as an educator with children with special needs and as a manager of childcare services in the Halton and Durham regions. She served as a representative for teachers on the Viamonde School Board, specifically at Ronald Marion Elementary School. Additionally, she worked at Collège Boréal as an instructor responsible for student internships in the Early Childhood Education program.

She sits on the board of directors of COFRD (Conseil des Organismes Francophones de la Région de Durham) and has received a certificate of recognition for her commitment to the Francophone community through volunteering with COFRD.

Internationally, she is a board member of the Christian International School in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Board of Directors

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Hélène Bever

Chair

Marianne Goodwin is a public affairs consultant in Ottawa. She hails from Quebec and her political and ministerial experience spans various provinces at the municipal, provincial, federal, and international levels. She has also worked for the Federation of Francophones in British Columbia and for Women and Gender Equality Canada. In addition to teaching and completing several college-level certificates, she holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from McGill and a BA in Psychology from Queen’s. She has been involved in politics from a young age, served on the board of directors of À Voix Égales, and volunteers at a homeless shelter in Ottawa.

Aissa Nauthoo

Aissa Nauthoo

Co-chair

Aissa Nauthoo is a Lawyer and Director of Legal Aid, Employment, and Settlement Services at the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto since 2004, practicing in immigration and poverty law. A member of the Common Law Honour Society at the University of Ottawa. Me. Nauthoo is dedicated to defending the language rights of Francophone litigants in court. She is one of the founding members of La Maison pour femmes francophone in Toronto. She serves on the Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs and the Advisory Committee on French Language Services of the Board of Legal Aid Ontario.

Oureye Seck

Oureye Seck

Treasurer

Oureye Seck holds an advanced degree in Applied Economics for Development and a Master’s degree in Art with a focus on Project Management from the University of Connecticut in the USA. As a committed feminist, she has over 25 years of experience in the socio-community field, including 15 years in operational and strategic program management in Canada. Mrs Seck is currently the Managing Director of Entité 4 - French Language Health Services Planning since June 6, 2022. Her ambition is to contribute to the well-being of women and Francophone communities in Ontario.

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Magali Mahillet

Secretary

Hélène Bever is a bilingual lawyer practicing in Ontario. She specializes as a workplace lawyer and investigator, conducting investigations in both French and English. Her areas of expertise encompass workplace harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment, gender-based discrimination, as well as race and ethnicity-based discrimination. In the past, she served as a bilingual lawyer at the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, representing clients in mediations and hearings before the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. She also gained several years of experience with the Law Society of Ontario, developing significant expertise in professional regulation. Mrs Bever’s legal career began in Paris, France, where she specialized in civil and commercial litigation before relocating to Canada. She is a member of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario. Mrs Bever has also volunteered at the Centre francophone du Grand Toronto, assisting Francophones in preparing for the Canadian citizenship test.

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Julienne Kotto

Board Member

Julienne Kotto holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy Management and a Master’s degree in Environment and Sustainable Development, with a major in Governance.


She currently coordinates the Point d'Accueil Francophone d’Ottawa (PAF d’Ottawa), a program that brings together 10 francophone partners in the Ottawa region.


Ms. Kotto works closely with Francophone and Francophile organizations in the region, and her role is to create, develop and maintain strong and lasting partnerships with various community organizations, with the aim of facilitating the integration process of Francophone newcomers to the region.

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Dr. Sandrine Tchatchou

Board Member

Magali is the Executive Director of Centre Espoir Sophie, Ottawa’s only francophone drop-in center for vulnerable women. In addition to her role at the center, she also sits on OCVAW’s Advisory Committee.

 

For the past six years, Magali has dedicated her expertise in employability and program management exclusively to the French-speaking community, with a particular focus on supporting women. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a solid understanding of the feminist approach, intervention methods and crisis management, particularly adapted to the issue of violence against women. From 2017 to 2018, she was a front-line intervener at La Maison, where she gained valuable experience in direct support for victims.

 

Her commitment to women’s empowerment and the fight against all forms of violence is at the heart of her work. Every day, Magali strives to create an environment where women can rebuild their lives and regain their dignity and independence. Her passion and dedication make her an essential figure in Ottawa’s francophone community, working tirelessly for a safer, fairer future for all women.

The objective of La Maison is to build a strong and high-performing team through active commitment, the updating of feminist approaches, and open communication in order to achieve excellence.

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