This week’s reading and movie taught me about new perspectives. The reading “How To Think Like An Activist” by Wendy Syfret, ties into the film “Girls Connected” by Koen Suidgeest. The movie was both powerful and inspiring. The plot revolves around five teenage girls who use their individual strengths to tackle gender discrimination and violence in their respective communities. Each of them inspires their own people to transform his or her personal lives.
Josi is from Peru, and when she was a teenager she witnessed numerous teen pregnancies. She wondered what she could do to prevent these situations. Along with her friends, Josi Invited her community to a park where she gave advice and spoke on how they can take care of themselves through informed decision making. She speaks on the importance of using protection to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, Josi emphasizes the equal responsibility that women and men share, encouraging education around this topic.
Latifa is from Bangladesh and when was twelve years old her parents tried to coerce her into an arranged marriage. She told them that she would rather die than get married. Latifa believes getting married as a mere child puts an end to their dreams. One of the mothers in Latifa’s community admitted that the reason she tried to marry her daughter off was because she doesn’t have a father, brother, not to mention a house. Her mother feared for the worst, ultimately coming to the decision to marry off her daughter. However, Latifa put a stop to all this, saying that instead of marrying prematurely, the daughter will marry later on in life, and it will be of her own will. If anyone bothers them, they can call Latifa immediately and she will personally take aggressive action towards the harassment. There are girls in Latifa’s community who are married off before the age of sixteen. They are forced into marriage by the poverty of their parents. She empathizes with their struggle, knowing firsthand how miserable it feels when to not have anything to eat. About two years ago when Latifa was in sixth grade an attempt was made to marry her off because her family was suffering financially, and thus were faced with a food shortage. But, her mother defended and stood by her because Latifa’s mom was once a child bride herself. Her mother came to realize that she didn’t want her daughter to go through what she did. She wants her daughter to learn how to be independent before she gets married. Latifa made a call to her teacher and around 10 PM the administration came to her house and a court was set right in front of them. The administration announced that Latifa wishes to continue with her studies, and if, before the age of 18, anyone tries to marry her off without her consent they would be arrested. Latifa come to the realization that if she could stop her arranged marriage then she could help others in need as well.
Coming from Jordan, Ghazal doesn’t believe that her community truly understands the impact of what she is trying to accomplish. As being liberal is associated with danger, everyone around her accuses Ghazal of encouraging other girls to overstep boundaries. In Jordan, women’s rights and their freedom is simply out of the question. Ghazal was always first when it came to doing things differently, going against the social norms. She is passionate about recycling, was the first girl to play football at her school, and interests such as these set her apart from the other girls in Jordan. Many of the girls set limits and boundaries for them to adhere to. They participated in activities deemed to be acceptable for women, and strayed away from doing things considered to be more “masculine”. However, Ghazal believes in breaking gender norms, that anyone of any gender can do anything.
Ayesha states that back in India, girls are not allowed to go anywhere and are confined to their homes. They are are not allowed to do anything. But, Ayesha hopes that together, they can prevail with an improved confidence. The future that she sees for India is a future wherein girls can strive to better their lives without fear. With that determination in mind, Ayesha began boxing. Inspired by her brother, Ayesha has loved Karate ever since she was a child and took an interest in learning.
Back home in Kenya, most girls feel like their place is in the home and nowhere else. Society tells girls that they shouldn’t study engineering, that that’s unbecoming of them. Girls are taught to stay at home, take care of the kids, cook. In spite of it all, Michelle was able to brave these stereotypes, and that persistence is what she wishes to pass on. To be a girl in Kenya is to be told that you should not be outspoken for that is unbecoming of a lady. Girls should not express their ideas and opinions for that would be talking out of place. Michelle believes that these restrictions have been perpetuated due to a lack of role models, a lack of people to look up to when faced with these conflicts. The girls have it within themselves to move forward and get ahead in life, but they need the conviction and drive to do so. Michelle is a teacher who helps women from age twelve to thirty to achieve their dreams. There was a point in time where her family was put through financial hardships, sometimes going to bed hungry, but overcoming that obstacle made Michelle even stronger than she was before.
My classmate Hillary posted a photo that sincerely moved me. The post was captioned, “Girls just wanna have fundamental human rights.” And that is a statement I fully stand behind. Our world is vast, with an array of cultures and traditions, but protecting fundamental human rights, regardless of gender, is not an evil we should be fighting. There is power and unity in human rights, and though we are different, we can all come together to better our communities.
