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Ololade Ajayi

DOHS Cares Foundation

Ololade Ajayi is a feminist, human rights defender, award-winning poet, and podcast host. Her work centers on amplifying the voices of survivors and promoting healing through creative expression and advocacy. In 2016, her acclaimed poem “The Allocation” earned her the 1st runner-up position in the Nelson Mandela Day Poetry Prize. She has also clinched numerous poetry awards within her community and has been published in multiple literary journals, including Please See Me. Ololade is the founder of DOHS Cares Foundation, a Femicide Observatory, Research Hub and an SGBV Survivor support platform in Nigeria. Through the Non Profit Organization, she has been a consistent voice in the fight against domestic abuse and systemic silencing. Ololade holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from the University of Ado-Ekiti, a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja, and a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Lagos. She further honed her creative craft through the prestigious Iowa Writing Program, earning a certificate in Creative Writing and Healthcare. Ololade is the author of two impactful poetry collections: We the People (2017), a satirical take on sociopolitical issues in Nigeria, and The Rheavolution (2023), which explores trauma, mental health, and hope. Her work embodies the belief that poetry can serve as both protest and therapy; rockets of hope launched into spaces overcrowded with trauma.

Myrna Dawson

University of Guelph

Dr. Myrna Dawson is Professor of Sociology and Research Leadership Chair, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph. She is the founder and director of the Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Responses to Violence (CSSLRV; www.violenceresearch.ca) and the Canadian Femicide Observatory for Justice and Accountability (CFOJA; www.femicideincanada.ca). Her research focuses on trends/patterns in and social/legal responses to violence with emphasis on violence against women, children, femicide, and filicide.