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Brampton's Khalsa School Hosts Sikh-Canadian Professionals on International Women's Day

NAVREET KAUR VANDER, GURLEEN KAUR DHALIWAL & PAVANJOT KAUR

Friday, March 8, 2013 saw the Khalsa Community School in Brampton, Ontario, Canada mark the International Women’s Day by holding an assembly in its gym wherein almost 200 of the school’s students were enthralled by a bevy of Sikh-Canadian women professionals … by their stories of hopes and dreams, struggles and challenges, successes and achievements.

The panel discussion, organized by teacher Banno Kaur Sachdev and the school staff, was moderated by Gehna Kaur Singh, a Torontonian who works with the city’s Catholic Children’s Aid Society as its Manager of Communications.

The five panelists consisted of:

-   Asis Kaur Sethi, TV-show host, news reporter, film director and producer
-   Birender Kaur Gill, chartered accountant 
-   Ishnan Kaur, Manager, Publishing and New Media, with the Ministry of Education, Government of Ontario, Canada. 
-   Kiran Kaur Binder, a lawyer with Canada’s Department of Justice      
-   Rana Kaur Thiara, criminal defence lawyer

The following are reports from three of the school’s students who attended the assembly. Each is in Grade Seven, and is 12 years old.


NAVREET KAUR VANDER

When I first heard that we were going to have an assembly for International Women’s Day, I was just excited to miss math class. But, by the end of the assembly, I had a whole new perspective.

I found the assembly very interesting because there were five women talking about how they rode the rollercoaster of life to be here. They talked about how they juggled their jobs, along with being wives, and especially being a daughter.

I also liked the fact that they said that their mothers and sisters were their role models.

I especially liked how Ms. Rana Kaur Thiara said that her role model was her grandmother. She said that her grandmother was the mother to her children along with being the father, since their father had died. She had become the “man” of the family, yet she still had time to care for her kids and do the housework. She also taught Rana how to shovel the driveway and do other chores.

I admire Rana because she was pretty funny and had many professions. She said that she was a mother first, then wife, then teacher and lawyer. I liked how she described her story on how she went on to become a lawyer. She always thought that she was never smart enough. Soon she was married and had a child. Her husband told her that she should go on and become a lawyer. She replied, “If I go to school now, I’m going to be 30 by the time I finish.” Her husband said, “Aren’t you going to be 30 anyway?”

A student asked the five women what the proudest moment in their life was for each of them. Each replied that once they tried again, and were successful, it was then that they felt proud. I liked how even though they failed once, they still tried again and again. 

Ms. Asis Kaur Sethi now works at OMNI TV. But, she still had some pros and cons to work there. She told us that she once made an episode where she travelled to almost every gurdwara in Punjab and India for that story. The reporters didn’t like her story because it was religious. She still tried again and soon got it aired.

Each woman had an amazing story to tell. I know their words will make a huge mark in my life. I know that I can be anything I want to be.

So, see me in a few years, I’ll be teaching Grade Four!



GURLEEN KAUR DHALIWAL

In my opinion, I thought the assembly was great.

I thought all the five women came well prepared for everything, or in this case, every question that came their way.

Another thing I liked about the assembly, was that they were all very confident
and answered every question vibrantly. They were all very supportive of each other. I loved comparing all their different ways of living and their careers.

I enjoying learning about their accomplishments, their children, and their lives as women, both at work and at home.

The assembly was a success. I looked up to them with a lot of interest. I loved all of their amazing stories. They were all so kind and funny. They really left an impression on all of us.

They inspired me because I didn’t know a woman can be this strong. After this assembly, I really got to know that women are really capable of doing anything, and they really shouldn’t be treated unfairly for any reason.

Now, I believe I can be a doctor and no one can pull me down from my dream. The five women really inspired me.

One of my favorite lines was when one of them said that when her mother came to Canada, she didn’t know a word of English, but after five years she became the owner of a printing company.

I really admired them. I believe women can do anything that men can do. I believe we are all equal and should be treated that way.

See me in a few years and you’ll see me as a doctor.



PAVANJOT KAUR

Today’s assembly was amazing. I think each of us left it with something different.

I for one learned that if I want to be a lawyer, I can. I always doubted myself because I wanted to be a teacher and a lawyer. People said that I couldn’t balance the two careers because I was a girl and had to deal with raising a family too.

But, after seeing these five ladies who were clear proof of success, I learned that I can achieve my dream.

Each of them started from a raw platform and now they are all very successful. I look up to them as role models. They were kind and funny, and they had some amazing stories to share. I admire their confidence and how hard they have worked to get to where they are.

They were so real and inspirational. And their stories were hilarious.

They have influenced me in great ways; even I am shocked how easily I could relate to them. I have long worried that I would be 30 years old by the time I finished law school. But after hearing Rana describe her exchange with her husband, it struck me that indeed I would be 30 one way or another, and being successful and 30 was better than being a mere dreamer and 30.

That has given me hope. Now I am more focused on making my dream my future than thinking of my future as a faraway dream.

I think today’s assembly was wonderful. I just can’t believe how strong those ladies were; physically and mentally. They didn’t let anyone tell them otherwise. The way they spoke made me proud that these were Sikh women. I admire them greatly and when I grow up, I want to be just like them, and no one will be able to keep me down.

March 9, 2013

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