“As a Muslim, East-Indian woman, practicing as in-house legal counsel at a large organization, I was subjected to inappropriate comments about my religion, my culture, and about being a female by the other male lawyers. Some of the comments and incidents I was subjected to include the following:

...At an office function, the Director made up a limerick about me, suggesting I looked like a man and I was a Transgender individual.

I was told since I did not have a family or a spouse, I should not complain about working weekends and evenings, as the other lawyers had a family to go home to.

A colleague purposely added rum to my non-alcoholic beverage at an office retreat, knowing I did not drink alcohol.

A Senior Male Lawyer while in the presence of General Counsel and the Director of Legal Services gawked directly at my breasts and stated the following, ‘Are you pregnant, as I love, love, love how fast the milk starts coming in….’ the Director and General Counsel laughed and thought the comment was very funny. This same colleague also called me a “whore” at an office retreat...”

"...During my practice of law several years ago I was in attendance at a consultation meeting in [a small town in Alberta] with municipal government officials. A town councilor with distain referred to ‘those people’ in reference to a nearby aboriginal community. I immediately interrupted asked the person to clarify who ‘those people’ were. A colleague next to me put a hand on my arm and quietly asked me to let it go. The councilor was uneased and backtracked on his words. I let it go but was visibly angered. A different councilor approached me immediately after the meeting to assure me that they weren’t racist, just frustrated with the community. I could do nothing but walk away.

...Too often I hear the generalized complaints about Indians getting something/everything for free. If I have the opportunity I have to ask, like what? And too often there is nothing but stuttering to follow as there is no real knowledge behind anything that was just said. The point, if possible, is to have the person acknowledge/realize that s/he has spoken in ignorance..."