About Us
Centuries ago, Vietnamese society was a matriarchy which saw and celebrated strong and brave women warriors leading the country. Stories of two sisters leading an army and ruling the dynasty were heard across Việt Nam.
We come from this lineage of warriors and powerful, strong women. To honour this, our collective seeks to create opportunities for Vietnamese women to learn and reclaim their identities by creating spaces for meaningful connections and community healing. And we hope to explore the nuances of navigating life as daughters of the diaspora through art.
Our collective, Empowered Phụ Nữ (EPN), first met at the United Vietnamese Students’ Association in Ontario’s (now UVSA Eastern Canada) Leadership Summit in 2018 as presenters or co-organizers. EPN is comprised of Linda Bùi, Julia Huỳnh and Michelle Nguyễn. We dream of creating a space where Vietnamese women could share their stories and reclaim their cultural identities through the arts.
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Meet the Collective Co-Creators
Photography by Anna Nguyễn taken at Junto Studio
Linda Bùi
Linda (she/her) is a community organizer, public policy professional and co-founder of the Girls Empowerment Movement, a youth-led collective facilitating art-based activities and safer spaces for young women of colour and gender diverse individuals in so-called Peel Region, Canada since 2013.
Julia Huỳnh
Julia (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, community archivist and independent researcher and writer. Julia has experience working with ethno-specific archives and non-profits and has led multiple workshops on student leadership, zine-making, and photovoice training.
Michelle Nguyễn
Michelle (she/her) is a researcher at the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration & Integration program. She has served as a mentor for Vietnamese youth across North America, sharing her passion for civic engagement education, immigration policy, and storytelling projects.
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