Prince George Sikh Youth: Happy International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day to all the sangat! I hope you get a chance today to remind the women in your life how much they mean to you and if you are a woman, to celebrate your own life too.

Women’s day this year reminds me of the amazing women leaders that we have leading our covid response including our chief medical officer for BC and Canada, and Dr Corbett, the scientist who played a key role in getting us the Pfizer covid vaccine. This year was the inspiring inauguration of Kamila Harris as Vice President of the United States, a landmark moment for women everywhere. We are seeing Sikh women on the forefront of the farmer protests. We still have a ways to go to fixing inequities in many areas, but I think we have come a long way.

I have realized the importance of not only helping each other to rise up, to remind other women how special they are, but also remembering within ourselves, that we are enough as we are. It is the acceptance and love of self that allows our own voices to truly shine and opens it up for others to do so as well. Thank you to all the amazing Singhniyan who came before us, who sacrificed their children in the times of Mir Mannu, those who fought courageously in battle, to those who performed sewa with love and devotion, and those who guided the panth like Mata Gujri ji. Our female identity is just a costume, we must always remember the lessons of Gurbani about our power and ability as Sikh women.

I never knew growing up how many challenges I would face as a woman in this society. I was shocked and surprised at what I had to face when I entered the workforce, and when I learned to recognize that not everyone faces what I do as a woman of colour. I am so thankful to have had strong feminist parents, who reminded me that my worth is not simply attached to getting married and having children, but reminded me of my ability to change the world with my own actions, and make waves that change communities through my presence, work, volunteerism and even my own children. Let’s continue to make waves, and the way we can do that is be our true selves.

Some quick references and then pictures of Sikh women in various careers! We need to know and see people like us in leadership roles, we need to see ourselves represented. I hope that this small batch helps girls out there know that there are others out there like them.

https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/nypd-gets-its-first-female-turbaned-sikh-auxiliary-police-officer-gursoach-kaur-1854614

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupi_Kaur

https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value/feature/lilly-singh-s-know-your-value-moment-ncna1245808

https://kaurlife.org/2014/10/14/kaur-careers-filmmaker/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jFyfr_qJd0

https://sikhsiyasat.net/a-message-from-the-daughter-of-jaswant-singh-khalra-to-sikh-youth/

https://equalities.blog.gov.uk/2020/03/31/in-their-words-arpinder-kaur-bansi-and-mandeep-bansi/

http://www.sikhsonline.co.uk/first-female-turbaned-sikh-pilot-congratulated-by-sgpc/

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sikh-teacher-moves-from-quebec-1.5257049

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/13/us/first-sikh-woman-graduates-west-point-trnd/index.html