Moving to Canada in my 40s helped me rediscover my strength as a woman

Marwa Abu Eita · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Mar 08, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

This First Person nonfiction is the acquisition of Marwa Abu Eita, who moved from Dubai to Regina successful 2023. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, delight see the FAQ. This communicative is portion of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News bid astir migration told done the eyes of the radical who person experienced it.

I was staring astatine the advertizing connection connected my telephone with tears successful my eyes.

 "Would you similar to determination to Canada? Give america a telephone and let's assistance you find the way."

It was not the archetypal clip I cried unsocial successful my car, waiting to springiness my hubby a thrust aft his tract inspections connected different blistery scorching time successful Dubai. 

But it was the archetypal clip I was determined to bash thing astir it, and find my ain mode successful a caller country.

For years, I had lived successful my husband's shadow. I had near my occupation astatine an architectural steadfast to assistance physique our ain operation company. I thought we were going to beryllium partners astatine enactment but I ended up becoming his idiosyncratic assistant.

Over time, I mislaid myself and my confidence.

I thought that was my relation similar galore different women successful my Egyptian culture, lasting down my antheral and raising my kids. There's adjacent a saying to warrant that: "Behind each large antheral is simply a large woman."

But lasting successful my husband's shadiness wasn't satisfying for me. I needed a change.

As an designer who worked successful Dubai for implicit 15 years and spoke English fluently, I could spot a way for myself to a imperishable residence successful Canada. But did I spot myself to locomotion that way to the end?

Family and friends were discouraging, asking wherefore would I permission a unchangeable occupation for immoderate mysterious future?

My hubby was besides skeptical, arsenic going done an migration lawyer would beryllium expensive, and fees had to beryllium paid successful beforehand with nary warrant of success. But erstwhile I pointed retired that migration would springiness our children a way to education, imperishable residency and citizenship successful Canada, helium agreed. He supported maine successful my determination not to usage a lawyer, and spell done the process by myself, with a program that helium would articulation america erstwhile I established myself successful a caller country.  

Deep wrong myself, I knew I could execute what I enactment my caput toward and knew I was doing the close thing, not conscionable for myself, but for my lad and daughter.

I started the agelong roadworthy to immigrating successful 2017, archetypal rebuilding my vocation arsenic an designer successful Dubai. I worked full-time astatine a advisor bureau portion inactive moving with our household business. I recovered clip to survey online astatine a Canadian university. I adjacent started polishing my rusty French.

Every tiny accomplishment raised my level of assurance and pushed maine to continue.

In April 2023 — six years aft I archetypal received that connection connected my telephone — my 18-year-old son, my 15-year-old girl and I landed successful Canada, with the snowfall falling successful Regina. 

It felt truthful caller and wondrous, thing we'd ne'er experienced before. I loved it. 

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Maybe I got lucky, oregon did my probe well, but acknowledgment to a vocation bridging programme connecting immigrants to imaginable employers, I got a enactment placement interrogation quickly. 

On the time of that interview, my bosom was pounding. Sitting successful the reception of the unfastened layout office, I astir jumped retired of my spot each clip idiosyncratic walked successful my direction. 

However, erstwhile the interrogation started, everything changed. I met with 2 pistillate pb architects who appreciated my acquisition and made maine consciousness I was successful the close spot that empowered women successful their career. The speech flowed easy and I knew I got the job. I was implicit the moon. 

When I told my girl the news, she didn't look surprised. 

"I knew you would get the job," she told me. 

I realized I had shown her that she didn't request to beryllium a pistillate lasting down a large antheral — that she could beryllium her ain person, lasting connected her ain 2 feet. 

She loves our caller beingness here, and hopes to enactment immoderate time arsenic a neurosurgeon successful Regina — the acold metropolis that warmly welcomed us. 

People told maine I'd travel to hatred the winter, but I inactive emotion it each clip the snowfall falls, conscionable arsenic it did connected the time I archetypal arrived successful this state that promised maine a future.

I americium moving connected becoming a registered designer successful Canada and I americium surrounded by a supportive community. I person entree to resources I request to proceed increasing professionally.

Although my hubby is inactive successful Dubai, my narration with him has go stronger.

Being isolated made america recognize each other's worth and the clip quality betwixt Dubai and Regina taught america to admit the times when we bash get to talk with 1 another online — until the clip helium decides to articulation america here. 

As I stand next to my model and look at the agleam sunlight reflecting disconnected the snow-covered ground, I deliberation backmost to that infinitesimal erstwhile I received that advertizing connection to travel to Canada. It was my calling.

It reminded maine of my astir forgotten skill: my interior strength.

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