Janine Heber - Top 30 Under 30

“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

Tell us about yourself!

I am a queer, non-binary artist, activist, and student. I have a background in yoga-inspired movement (RYT-500) and am currently studying psychology and gender studies. I am passionate about creating safer, trauma-sensitive, and inclusive spaces and services for LGBTQIA2S+ communities, especially within the context of health and wellness. I also love creating and supporting art as a powerful tool for social change. Currently, I am part of the Edmonton Speaker’s Bureau, a youth-led gender equality initiative organized by Juliana Kaneda. I am excited to work with Queer Flex, which is Canada’s First queer-centred non-profit gym. I am also a member of the youth committee of Rainbow Alliances for Youth Edmonton (RAYES), which aims to promote increased understanding, knowledge, and empathy around the experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ communities.

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

Be an ally to LGBTQIA2S+, especially QTBIPOC. Educate yourself. Recognize intersectionality and remember your privilege. Advocate for gender-neutral bathrooms and language. Language is a powerful tool. Cis-folks can practice stating their name and pronouns during introductions to help normalize this practice and reduce the emotional labour experienced by trans people. Support non-binary/trans activists and artists. Reflect and challenge your own and other’s oppressive ideas. Who is represented? Who is not? Ask who is left out of conversations, spaces, services, and question why.

What inspires you to make a difference in the world?

I think a huge part of reducing inequality is increasing representation, especially supporting diversity in conversations around gender equality. Volunteering and working with organizations that support youth and increase understandings of LGBTQIA2S+ communities is a big part of that for me.

Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3) is a global goal I am incredibly passionate about in my work. Structures of inequality make health and wellness inaccessible to marginalized people. I aim to prioritize the health of LGBTQIA2S+ communities by offering accessible trauma-informed classes, developing a queer-centred health resource guide, and supporting organizations with similar missions.

More 2019 Top 30 Alumni

Saige Godberson

"In the face of adversity, do not settle but rather speak up and create change." -Saige Godberson Age: 23 Hometown: Spruce Grove, Alberta Currently Residing In: Spruce Grove, Alberta Affiliations: Youthnited Nations International, Stollery Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sigma Nursing Honors Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Special Olympics Edmonton I often say that “if everyone makes a small change, together we will make a big difference.” As a registered nurse in...

Adam Goodwin

"Incorporate changes to address gender equality in your daily life. This can be in your own community, at the regional level, or through an international opportunity." -Adam Goodwin Age: 29 Hometown: Red Deer, Alberta Currently Residing In: Red Deer, Alberta Affiliations: Sport4one I spend a considerable amount of my personal time investing in the sport for development and peace industry. The industry employs sport as a means for economic, environmental, and social development. I became a...

Aditya Chaudhuri

"Realize that when you do not contribute to achieving gender equality, you are limiting the world from reaching its full potential." -Aditya Chaudhuri Age: 25 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Engineers Without Borders Canada (ACGC Member) I’m a musician, an engineer (in training), an absolute animal lover, but most importantly, a global citizen who is passionate about contributing towards a sustainable tomorrow. I used to think the world was only...

Hannah Mercader

"You don’t have to do something out of the ordinary to make a special impact. Be mindful of how to make the small moments count." -Hannah Mercader Age: 27 Hometown: Calgary, Alberta Currently Residing In: Calgary, Alberta Affiliations: Mama na Mtoto, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary From a very young age, I have always had an interest in the health of vulnerable populations. Being born in rural Philippines and growing up in a low-income immigrant family in Canada, I understand...

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...

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...

Bryce Thomsen

"I invite all youth in our community to identify opportunities to create change and to not be afraid to pitch their ideas to mentors for support." -Bryce Thomsen Age: 23 Hometown: Camrose, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: TEC Edmonton, Health City, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine Growing up in a small town in rural Alberta, I always wondered what life was like on the global stage. I was fascinated with various cultures and their ways of life, but soon...

Mabel Smith

"It is important to find something that you love doing and that you feel has a positive impact on the world." -Mabel Smith Age: 22 Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta Currently Residing In: Edmonton, Alberta Affiliations: Engineers in Action I have always felt a strong sense of environmental and social responsibility. While still in elementary school, I became an obsessive recycler as well as a vegetarian, and I would carry home banana peels and apple cores to compost. More recently, I have developed...

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...

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...