Trent University alumna Maryam Monsef ’03 has been re-elected as member of parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha. It is her second term in the federal legislature. Ms. Monsef has previously held cabinet positions as minister for Women and Gender Equality, minister of International Development and minister of Democratic Institutions.
The newly re-elected MP sees Trent as an essential part of her political success.

“Trent taught me that I could take an idea and turn it into action,” she says. “Trent taught me that when young people rise, their voices are heard. Trent taught me that I could be connected with things happening around the world. Trent also taught me that it’s important to create spaces for people to have a voice in the decision-making process. Trent has taught me that when we dream big as Canadians, we are able to do spectacular things.”

Her relationship with her fellow alumni is rather unique. Routinely travelling across the country, she finds Trent alumni everywhere she turns.

“Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t come up to me and say that they went to Trent,” she notes. “Whether it’s in Iqualuit, British Columbia or Ottawa, Trent alum are doing great things all over Canada.”

Ms. Monsef was the co-founder of the Red Pashmina Campaign, a grassroots initiative she started while at Trent, which to date has successfully raised over $150,000 to help support women in Afghanistan. She is a co-recipient of the YMCA’s Peace Medallion and represented Peterborough in 2013 at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

A dedicated volunteer, Ms. Monsef has sat on boards and committees for several high-profile organizations. She is former vice-president of the YWCA of Peterborough and Haliburton Board of Directors, former director of the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, and of the New Canadians Centre—a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting immigrants, refugees, and other newcomers in the Peterborough and Northumberland regions.

“Trent alumni have a long history of political leadership in this region and across Canada,” says Lee Hays ’91, director of Alumni Engagement and Services. “It is a pleasure to congratulate alumna Maryam Monsef on her re-election as MP for Peterborough-Kawartha.  We appreciate her commitment to the region and Canada and look forward to working together to continue making positive change.”

Ms. Monsef has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Trent University. Before entering federal politics, Ms. Monsef ran as a Peterborough mayoral candidate.