“Reflect on the stereotypes and prejudiced views you may apply to others. Recognize if you’re discriminatory, and rectify your behaviour. Change starts with you.”

-Sonia Lal

Age: 18

Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta

Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta

Affiliations: John Humphrey Center for Peace and Human Rights (ACGC Member) Students Invested in Health Association, Live Different, Big Brothers Big Sisters

What influenced you to become a change-maker?

From a cheerleader with a bow in her hair to a Taekwondo competitor gearing up to spar on the mat, I’ve earned my fair share of scoffs and eyebrow raises. Society conditions us to believe that there are only two types of women: tomboys and girly-girls. Strict gender roles perpetuated from a young age insinuate that women can’t be multifaceted and must be fit into neat separate boxes. However, boxes are for toys, not people. No activity should be restricted by gender, and no one should feel intimidated or ashamed for passionately pursuing any “contrasting” activities. As an athlete and community leader, I work to break the negative notion that engaging in certain activities automatically files one into a certain stereotype. Be it on the field, in the classroom, or out on the streets, anyone should be able to pursue their passion without barrier or fear of societal rebuke.

How does your work promote gender equality in Canada and around the world?

When choosing which bathroom to go to, I simply look up at the sign with the skirt and proceed to walk in without a worry. However, this lack of thought is a privilege I’d never acknowledged until I talked with Tess Adams, a student from the LGBTQ+ club at my school. Gender-neutral bathrooms are scarcely available, and the importance of having accessible and inclusive bathrooms for students of all gender identities is often overlooked. As an ally, and through my position as editor in chief for the school Newspaper, I worked with Tess to mould an article shedding light on the situation. In doing so, we raised awareness about the lack of facilities to the administration and successfully implemented a gender-neutral bathroom at our school.

What inspires you to make a difference in the world?

Through the Students Invested in Health Association (SIHA) Local Outreach team, I’ve been working to simultaneously address gender inequality and SDG 3: Good Health and Well Being. Currently, I am helping coordinate the installation of menstrual product dispensers around campus in women’s bathrooms. Menstrual cycles aren’t voluntary and can come unexpectedly. No one individual should have to use wads of toilet paper as a substitute for pads or suffer embarrassment from the dreaded red stain. Providing the proper resources for those who menstruate is pivotal in creating the sparks that ignite change and extinguishing the stigma around reproductive health that exists today. Sanitary products are not a luxury or a privilege; they’re a human right.

More 2019 Top 30 Alumni

Daryl Kootenay

"We must support gender equality in our gatherings by creating spaces in which female leaders can learn, engage, and act on each other’s ideas." -Daryl Kootenay Age: 27 Hometown: Morley, Alberta Currently Residing In: Morley, Alberta Affiliations: Stoney Nakoda Youth Council, Banff Center for indigenous leadership, Mni Ki Waka: Decade of Water Summit Since I was in high school, I have always felt a deep sense of the need and desire to help others. This aligns with my identity as a Stoney...

Gideon Mentie

"Stories can multiply the impact of a good initiative, so let’s learn how to be captivating storytellers!" -Gideon Mentie Age: 22 Hometown: Brooks, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: SPECT, FullSoul Uganda, CAWST (ACGC Member), Canadian Foodgrains Bank I am a 22-year-old Ethiopian-Canadian civil engineering student, born and raised in the little prairie town of Brooks, Alberta. Growing up in Brooks, where over 100 different languages are spoken, I was always...

Janine Heber

"Continually question and re-evaluate how spaces can be made more accessible, and take action to reduce barriers for marginalized folks." -Janine Heber Age: 19 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Queer Flex, Sexual Violence Awareness/Office of Human Rights, Plan International Canada Speakers’ Bureau, Rainbow Alliance Youth for Edmonton, The Quiltbag, MacEwan Office of Sustainability I am a queer, non-binary artist, activist, and student. I have a...

Koshin Mohomoud

"The most important thing for anyone wanting to make a change is to get involved. Whether you are able to volunteer a little bit of your time or a lot, it is always important." -Koshin Mohomoud Age: 29 Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Edmonton Somali Professionals I am currently a senior policy advisor with the Government of Alberta. Prior to my current role, I worked in both the public and private sectors and spent time working in my...

Alex Wong

"As an advocate, it is important to recognize your own privilege and help elevate the voices of others, rather than replace them with your own." -Alex Wong Age: 22 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: MD Admissions Initiative for Diversity and Equity, Medical Students’ Association - University of Alberta, Canadian Federation of Medical Students, Net Impact My passion for medicine stems from my belief that good health is one of the cornerstones of...

Hamila Al-Turk

"Gender equality is not just a women’s issue, but a human rights issue, and we all need to be part of the conversation." Age: 21 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: City of Edmonton Youth Council, Social Equity Subcommittee, Diabetes Canada Club One of the wisest teachers to have taught me once said, “Compassion is the basis of all morality, so live your life as if you were a mirror that reflects the good back to people.” Being a student under her...

Emilie Duchesne

"Knowing when to take and give space for others is the very first step in taking a stance against gender inequality." -Emilie Duchesne Age: 25 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Youth Empowerment and Supports Services (YESS), Comité Francoqueer de l’Ouest, Francophonie Jeunesse de l’Alberta (FJA) Who I am is shaped and moulded by my belief in equity and inclusion for all types of people. I am a passionate, part-time social work student currently...

Stephanie Southgate

"Never underestimate the effect that your actions have on other people. Follow your interests and skills, and use them to make a positive impact." -Stephanie Southgate Age: 28 Hometown: Ipswich, United Kingdom Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: CAWST (ACGC Member) I have always been driven to make a positive contribution to others and the world. However, during a university internship in rural India, my resolve to shift my career path towards education was solidified upon...

Elizabeth Roden

"You don’t have to do something on a grand scale; just live your values and stand up for what you believe in." -Elizabeth Roden Age: 29 Hometown: Glendon, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Operation Eyesight (ACGC Member) From an early age, I’ve always believed that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I helped form a leadership group at my high school and was eager to learn more about world issues. In 2007, I moved to Calgary to pursue a degree...

Amber Rai

"To be a change-maker, you must identify an issue that needs to be addressed, think of ways to bring about the change, and evaluate your efforts to ensure you are making the impact that you hoped for." -Amber Rai Age: 20 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Sherwood Park, Alberta Affiliations: Learning Beyond Borders, HEAL International Ever since I joined the Learning Beyond Borders club over five years ago, I have been working on programs to help students in rural Uganda....
Share This