Keynote speaker announced
Rumana made international headlines in 2011, when on a visit back to Bangladesh from Vancouver, her then husband, viciously tried to kill her! The authorities there failed to take action against him until university students across Bangladesh and Canada marched in protest. The incident brought into sharp focus the issue of intimate partner violence against women. Although Rumana survived the attack, she lost eyesight in both eyes. But Rumana’s real story is one of courage, resilience and success in the face of unimaginable trauma and adversity. After the Canadian Government brought her back to Vancouver, Rumana obtained two Masters Degrees and a law degree from UBC; as a single and blind Mom.
Today Rumana is a lawyer at Canada’s Department of Justice as well as a sought after motivational speaker. Rumana received Coast Mental Health’s Courage to Come Back Award for Physical Rehabilitation in 2020.
For more information on the conference please visit the Annual Conference Page.
For those of you interested, there is an upcoming book launch for Rumana Monzur's life story coming up on April 23, 2024 frpm 6:30-9:00PM PST at Jack Poole Hall, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre (6163 University Blvd).
Book is titled "Out of Darkness" by author Denise Chong. Registration link to the event is found below. Both Rumana and Denise will be present and looking forward to meeting you in advance of our conference.