A Toronto scientist who has helped tens of thousands of vulnerable pregnant women in Canada has been inspired by the ‘strong women’ in her family.
Ishita Aggarwal founded Mom’s The Word, a non-profit organization that hosts free workshops for pregnant women who are homeless or on a low income, to fight ill health, illiteracy, maternal poverty and infant morbidity.
Doctors and counsellors refer eligible women to MTW and those who complete the four-hour program receive food stamps, milk coupons, bus tokens or prenatal vitamins in return.
“I’ve always been surrounded by strong women,” Aggarwal told CTVNews.ca.
“My mom really taught me the importance of health education, especially sexual health. She was very open and honest. My dad has always been there too. He grew up in an environment where men were expected to achieve more, but he treated me the same as my brother.”
Since it began in 2016, MTW has raised $100,000 and hosted more than 60 workshops for 750 women on how to have a healthy pregnancy.
Aggarwal, 26, from Vaughan, Ont., was born in India before her family immigrated to Canada.
She paid tribute to her “headstrong” mom Ruchi Aggarwal for showing her the qualities of a great leader.
“I'm fortunate to have a great role model to learn from and aspire to. In everything she does, my mom demonstrates balance,” Aggarwal said.
“She can be incredibly headstrong when she wants to be. That being said, she also knows when to step back and pave the way for others to take a more central role.”
Aggarwal’s MTW staff also run monthly safe sex talks, led by doctors and nurses, which have reached more than 93,000 Canadians.
“I worked with an interdisciplinary team of health practitioners at a teaching hospital to design a crash course on prenatal care, assembled a team of healthcare providers capable of leading workshops, and sought partnerships and sponsorships with gender-just organizations to grow Mom’s The Word’s referral network,” she said.
Aggarwal and her team have also launched Pro-Bono Healers, a service which links sexual abuse and rape victims with obstetrician-gynecologists and therapists.
To date, PBH has helped more than 215 girls and women access services including testing for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, birth control, abortion and counselling.
This past year has seen Aggarwal bring more organizations on board to work with MTW.
“All the workshops are in person, which can cause logistical problems, and I’m trying to see if there’s a way of making these programs available online,” she said.
“I’m working with two organizations in B.C. and one in Ontario.”
Aggarwal recently completed an honours bachelor of science degree in cell and molecular biology, neuroscience and psychology at University of Toronto.
She works as a research analyst in the neurogenetics and neuroscience research department at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and is studying for a masters in public health at Western University.
“I’m very grateful for the life I’ve been given because of people that have fought for the freedoms that I have and I’m trying to ensure that women continue to have access to those freedoms,” she said.
Aggarwal, who has received multiple national and international awards, was instrumental in organizing the Women in Science and Engineering National Conference to encourage the participation of girls and women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).
She is also a research associate at International Women’s Rights Project, focusing on women’s participation in climate change and maternal health governance.
