The theme celebrated the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women across the globe.
The guest speaker, Roya Shams, was brought to Canada four years ago by The Toronto Star when her life was threatened in Afghanistan for wanting to attend school. She was 16 at the time. Shams is now attending the University of Ottawa on a full scholarship. She has also started a charitable organization, the Shams Foundation, to provide nutrition to street children in Kandahar so that they can attend school.
She talked about her life in Afghanistan and the events that shaped her to become a stronger, more resilient, motivated woman.
She believes that “Life is like a staircase.... If you stumble on one step, get back up and strive to reach the next step. Eventually you will get to where you need to be. You, and you alone, are the master of your own destiny.”
For more articles, please go to the Ismaili Canada Summer 2017 edition online.
