Welcome, Ghezal Durrani!
“As a single parent wanting to go back to school, I felt lost and unsupported. When you’re working two jobs to pay the bills, it can be hard to not give up on your goals. This scholarship program will make a big difference in helping single parents upgrade their skills, obtain better jobs and build a brighter future for their families”
Ghezal Durrani
Ghezal Durrani is a Community Development Coordinator at the YWCA and a student at Simon Fraser University, majoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies (GSWS) and minoring in criminology. She is also a single mother of two (almost adult) children. As a scholar, Ghezal advocates for social equality. She immigrated to Canada twenty years ago as a young bride from Pakistan. Her journey in Canada was not easy. Being a racialized young woman with little education, no work experience, no English proficiency, and no community or family support was an enormous challenge.
However, she was able to overcome these challenges and find her voice in the community to advocate for her rights and her children’s rights. After twenty years of struggle Ghezal can share her story, be a voice, and stand for those who cannot stand for themselves. She is determined to make positive community changes and strongly believes in the power of action and making life decisions that foster change. She focuses on collaboration and empowerment rather than individualized views based on race, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, political views, and lifestyle.
Ghezal has volunteered with the Hastings Sunrise Community Policing, was a representative on the Education Council at Vancouver Community College, a student representative at the Board of Governors at Langara College and also was board chair at the Chair of the Board Assessment Task Form along with many other community endeavours.
Her inspirational personal journey and professional experience will provide an invaluable perspective to the selection process of Beedie Luminaries’ Single Parent Awards.
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