Delivering financial information in someone’s native tongue can have a huge impact on financial literacy. That’s why Dr. Gurcharan Thind from the Calgary Women’s Cultural Association (CWCA) jumped at an opportunity to run a Money Matters workshop in Punjabi.
Money Matters is a free introductory financial literacy program that has been delivered across Canada since 2011. The program, which is written at a grade six to eight reading level, offers workbooks on many topics—from banking basics to smart shopping—and in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Simplified Chinese and, most recently, Punjabi.
Held last October at the Genesis Centre in Calgary, the Money Matters workshop took place during CWCA’s monthly seniors women’s gathering, which also celebrated Diwali. What was already a vibrant community event became an opportunity to build confidence, independence and financial understanding among Punjabi-speaking senior women.
“We were holding an event focused on empowering seniors’ wellbeing and self-esteem, and I thought the Money Matters program would be very beneficial to them,” says Dr. Thind, a coordinator at the organization. “Banking knowledge is very important for seniors, especially when they are managing pensions and fixed incomes.”
While CWCA primarily serves Punjabi-speaking women aged roughly 50 to 80, the event welcomed more than 130 participants from all walks of life, including newcomers, permanent residents, super-visa holders, citizens and even male seniors who wanted to learn alongside their spouses and peers.
For Dr. Thind, delivering the workshop in Punjabi wasn’t just helpful — it was essential.
“From my point of view, this type of information should always be in a person’s native language,” she says. “Otherwise, it goes over their head. They may be listening, but they’re not truly understanding.”
The session was delivered by a Punjabi-speaking facilitator from ABC Life Literacy Canada, who guided participants through the Banking Basics workbook and led an extended Q&A that continued even after the formal presentation ended.
Banking Basics is one of six topics from the Money Matters core program, which also covers Spending Plans, Borrowing Money, Ways to Save, Smart Shopping, and Building Credit and Homebuying.
In addition to the core resources, the program offers Money Matters for Indigenous Peoples, Money Matters for People with Diverse Abilities and Money Matters for Self-Employment.
The Banking Basics workbook covers concepts such as how to choose the right bank for you, understanding your bank account, online and mobile banking, and how to keep your money safe online. For many seniors, these topics are deeply tied to independence and dignity.
Dr. Thind noted that many older women have traditionally been excluded from financial decision-making, with their adult children managing their accounts.
“There’s a perception that moms don’t know anything about banking,” she says. “We try to raise awareness that women should have their own money and full access to make decisions about how they spend it.”
For CWCA, financial literacy is about much more than dollars and cents.
“When women are financially empowered, they can make decisions on their own,” says Dr. Thind. “I believe that information and independence are the way to empowerment.”
To learn more about Money Matters, download free resources in multiple languages, or sign up to host a workshop, visit abcmoneymatters.ca.
