ABOUT US
In Honour of Vida
TFCA Action for Women was founded by Tiana Mash, PhD, and named in honour of her mother, Vida.
Vida died in Iran in 1983 as a result of domestic violence. Her death was officially recorded as a suicide. She lived and died during a period in which women’s voices carried little weight and even less protection, and in the aftermath, her children were used against her within the political and social climate of the newly established Revolutionary government. It was Vida’s death, and the circumstances surrounding it, that ultimately created the path by which her children were later able to leave Iran and build a new life in Canada.
Vida’s own passion, in life, centred on education and the belief that learning was the surest route to a woman’s independence and self-worth. She held that voice and knowledge were inseparable, and that a woman equipped with both could not easily be silenced or controlled. She did not have the opportunity to see that belief fully realized in her own lifetime.
TFCA Action for Women exists to carry that unfinished work forward. Dr. Mash founded this organization in her mother’s honour and in recognition of the sacrifice that allowed her the opportunity to pursue the highest levels of academic achievement, an opportunity Vida herself was denied. It is also an act of return: a way of giving back to the country that received her family when it needed refuge most, and of extending Vida’s belief in education and empowerment to women who face similar silence today.
Her courage. Her sacrifice. My purpose.
Our mission
TFCA Action for Women is a training and education organization. Our work is grounded in the principle that knowledge builds independence. We equip women with the practical skills and information needed to make informed decisions and exercise genuine choice, reducing dependence on others, including financial dependence, by building the specific competencies that dependence often exploits.
This includes teaching women how to use a computer with confidence, complete online banking safely, navigate the internet to locate accurate information, search for court advocacy resources and legal aid services, identify emergency shelters and community supports, and understand the programs available to them. Education, in this sense, is not abstract. It is the direct mechanism by which a woman regains control over her own circumstances.
Education is confidence. Power. Redirection.
2003
Established
100%
Virtual & accessible
ONT
Ontario focused
FREE
No tuition or fees
What we are — and what we are not
So you know exactly what to expect from us, before you need us.
What we offer
Knowledge, skills, advocacy, and connection — delivered virtually and at no cost.
- Digital literacy and AI-powered learning
- Court support and advocacy accompaniment
- Assistance understanding and completing immigration paperwork
- Referral and connection to counselling and mental health supports
- Neurofeedback and brain health services
- Academic support from Grade 9 through graduate level
- Coaching and mentorship toward stable employment
- Guidance interpreting documentation from institutions, courts, or government bodies
- Redirection to the appropriate government, legal, or community resource for a woman’s specific situation
What we do not offer
TFCA Action for Women is not a shelter, and we do not provide emergency housing, food bank services, or direct financial assistance. Where a woman requires shelter, food security support, or emergency funds, we connect her directly to the organizations equipped to provide those services, and we remain available to support her through that process.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. For 24/7 support in Ontario, the Assaulted Women’s Helpline is 1-866-863-0511.