Rhonelle Bruder

“IF YOU HAVE SOME POWER, THEN YOUR JOB IS TO EMPOWER SOMEBODY ELSE"

― TONI MORRISON

About Rhonelle

Rhonelle Bruder is a passionate and highly regarded professional with over ten years of experience in community and social service.

A Ph.D. student in Social and Behavioural Sciences at Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, Rhonelle applies an intersectional and critical lens to her research on gender violence and human trafficking. Examining broader systems of structural oppression, such as racism, classism, and sexism that lead to trafficking victimization and using community-based participatory methodologies to develop trauma-informed and strength-based solutions. Prior to studying at Dalla Lana, Rhonelle earned a Master of Science in Health Informatics from the University of Victoria and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from New York City College of Technology. 

Alongside her doctoral studies, Rhonelle is the Founder and Executive Director of Project iRISE, a Toronto-based nonprofit organization that offers innovative skills and leadership development programs for survivors of human trafficking and gender-based violence and those at risk. Rhonelle's work with Project iRISE is inspired by her own lived experiences. She understands the challenges survivors face when trying to rebuild their lives and developed Project iRISE as a tool to help educate and empower survivors to reach their full potential. The nonprofit provides programs such as educational training, career coaching, self-esteem building, and one-on-one mentorship. The Survivor Leadership program is currently funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services to support Ontario’s comprehensive Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy 2020- 2025.

Rhonelle’s public service career includes serving as a selected member of Canada’s Delegation to the 65th United Nations Commission on Women's Status (UNCSW). She sits on the Board of Directors of HEAL Trafficking, a network of multidisciplinary professionals dedicated to ending human trafficking and supporting its survivors, from a public health perspective. Additionally, she is an Advisory Board member for Civic Action’s anti-trafficking task force, The Ministry of Education’s Anti-human trafficking workgroup, Sick Kids Hospital, Lotus Health Clinic’s Child and Youth Sex Trafficking Community Protocol Advisory Committee. She is also an independent consultant, trainer, and speaker on human trafficking, gender violence, resiliency, and leadership development. Her “What is Sex Trafficking” educational video provides an overview of how sex trafficking works and how victims are targeted and then groomed is now used by law enforcement, child welfare services, and the hospitality industry across Canada as part of their anti-trafficking curriculum. 

Rhonelle's work has been widely recognized, with the 2021 distinction as L'Oreal Paris Women of Worth Honouree, CSPN’s Millennial Leader Award, and the selected as one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch by the Canadian International Black Women Event. Her work has been featured on CBC, CP24, The Toronto Star, Flare Magazine, Global News, and many more

Research Interests

HUMAN TRAFFICKING
GENDER VIOLENCE
COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH
QUALITATIVE METHODS AND CRITICAL THEORY
INTERSECTIONALITY
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

Publications