Women of the AGA | Yeside Talabi

Q: What is your role with the AGA?  

I’m the Applications and Business Analyst with the Art Gallery of Alberta.

Q: How would you describe yourself in one word? 

I’d describe myself as strong.

Q: What way do you think you are helping to break the bias around gender discrimination and stereotyping in your environment? 

The way that I’m helping to break the bias around gender discrimination and stereotyping is by creating awareness of who we women are. We’re strong and positive. We do a lot of things that many people don’t realize. I let people know that we are strong, and we make a positive impact on our society.

I also work to break the bias by being myself. I have a daughter who is just 18 months old. I’m nurturing her to become a strong woman on the outside and inside. When she grows up, she will not be easily pushed around. She will be strong and independent and she will not let anything get to her. 

Q: What is the thing that you wish you knew before and now can share? 

I grew up in Africa and we shied away from many things. One of those things is sex education. I didn't get sex education when I was growing up – not even the dos and don’ts. Luckily, I didn’t make mistakes, but I am going to provide this important education to my daughter. And I would also instill in her this – she needs to know she’s standing here because of God.

Q: Who is the woman who inspired you in your life and why? 

 One person who has greatly inspired me is my mom. I’ve learned patience from her. Another person who has inspired me is my mother-in-law. I’ve learned a lot from her also. She is an amazing person and she inspires me every day. Shoutout to my best friends as they are good inspirations to me. One person I wouldn’t love to leave out is my younger sister. She is amazing. I don’t say this to her, but she’s the opposite of me. She’s a calm person and I’ve learned a lot from her. She inspires me.

Q: If there is one thing that you’d ask us all to do to break the bias, what will that be? 

The one thing that I’d ask everyone to do is to have women supporting women. We need to all support one another and stand with each other out there.