This international women’s day, meet some remarkable women advancing their careers after leaving displacement behind
Posted on March 7, 2024 by Aylin Sel Gul
On International Women’s Day, we’re spotlighting the talent, courage and strength of three remarkable women within our TalentLift community: Amy, Enas and Samar. All three left refugee situations after they or their partner received a job opportunity and pursued a skilled visa to Canada under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot.
We’re grateful to them for sharing a glimpse of their experiences here.
“Never give up, there is a great future waiting for those who are ready to work for it.” – Amy
Amy recently completed her studies as an independent broker and views her career as an opportunity to empower others, by helping them to better understand their financial situations. Her journey through displacement and relocation to Canada involved many challenges and took a lot of perseverance. Amy is originally from Cuba and was living displaced in Trinidad and Tobago before relocating to Canada with her family. “But the point is not giving up,” she advises. Amy attributes her strength to her faith and family. They’ve helped her follow her own aspirations; she dreams of making a positive impact in her new career and community by assisting others find economic security. She encourages others to think of the wealth of opportunity in Canada and the possibility of gaining, with hard work, and also giving back. “Canada is a country with a lot of opportunities, so take advantage of it, help build up this society to be much better than what it already is.”
“On a day like today, where some women enjoy great rights while others suffer, for all the women and especially survivors, resistance and persistence are the only hope.” – Enas
Enas said she dreamed about her current life and all that she has now when she was little. She added, “I’m grateful for all the experiences that have brought me here. It’s been a journey with many stops, and I believe this isn’t my final destination.” Enas is from Syria and was living in Lebanon in a refugee situation when she interviewed with a Canadian employer and obtained a job offer in British Columbia. Enas is a social work professional and has experienced great advances and growth in her career. She thinks she has left a positive impact in the communities where she has served too, including here in Canada. Not everything has been easy for her of course. Balancing the stress and emotions that come with being a newcomer alongside work and other demands is challenging. However, “the significant changes in my life have fueled my perseverance.” Next, Enas hopes to pursue drama therapy in continuing education, to build her career in a direction where she can keep working closely with people while nurturing her artistic side. She is creative, empathetic and warm. It’s easy to see how she’ll continue lifting up those around her.
“Don’t despair. We need patience. And to walk step by step. Good work will be seen by everyone.” – Samar
Samar, meanwhile, has ventured into entrepreneurship with her crochet business, alongside her dedication to teaching Arabic. Struggling with English proficiency, she enrolled in Sheridan College to enhance her language, recognizing its crucial role in navigating life in Canada. Despite this challenge, Samar didn’t let it deter her; instead, she seized opportunities by starting her own crochet business and teaching Arabic language classes via Zoom.
Samar is Palestinian has lived in Syria and then Lebanon in a refugee situation. There were significant challenges across her family’s journey. Here in Canada, maybe the hardest one is language. But that’s part of starting somewhere new, she knows. Samar draws inspiration and support from her husband, and emphasizes the importance of staying positive and securing a stable income to provide a good life for their children. All of this takes hard work, but she’s sure hard work gets recognized. “Always, develop yourselves,” she encourages others. This beautiful philosophy is alive in her dream to open a private school for children, to help them develop and thrive too.
These are some incredible women. And there are many other talented folks like them, across all skill sets, in need of opportunity. Start hiring with us and meet them.
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With the support of the Scotiabank ScotiaRISE initiative, TalentLift has built a talent platform for displaced job seekers to self-register, develop job-readiness, and connect to transformative job and relocation opportunities to Canada. Learn more.