News and Updates
YSMENA Proudly Launches Trans Photovoice Art Exhibit
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November 29, 2025
YSMENA proudly launches the "Middle Eastern and North African Trans Photovoice Art Exhibit: Stories of Resilience & Be/Longing" in Toronto! This is an important knowledge mobilization event to encourage greater community safety and more culturally competent and gender-affirming care and social services.
YSMENA Presents at CBRC 2025 Summit in Montreal
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November, 2025
Dr. Roula Hawa and YSMENA presented at the CBRC 2025 summit where they presented a poster focusing on mindfulness, resilience, and self-compassion among GBM and trans and gender diverse MENA youth in Ontario communities whose voices and experiences deserve far more space in research and policy.​
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August 1, 2024
The importance of understanding the unique challenges of youth from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is explored in this research spotlight. The YSMENA Study highlights the needs of MENA youth as they navigate HIV and sexual health access when they settle in Canada​​​
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June 6, 2024
YSMENA and Dr. Roula Hawa are launching a new mindfulness study as a tool to create connection, heighten resiliency and lower high-risk activity within a population facing many new cases of HIV.
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April, 2024
Dr. Roula Hawa and YSMENA were proud to attend the CAHR 2024 conference, hosted in April, 2024 in London, Ontario where she presented her work on Centering Diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Youth in Ontario and British Columbia: Findings from The YSMENA Canadian HIV Survey
April, 2024
YSMENA launches a new study that focuses on culturally Responsive Sexual Health and Wellbeing Programming for Transgender Middle Eastern and North African Newcomer Young Adults in Ontario: Community-Based Participatory Research through Arts-Based Approaches.
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