After reading the text and watching the film Girl Connected, I would define activism as the act of working towards a better future by demanding justice and equity. There are many ways to be an activist, including educating yourself as well as your community, protesting, and so on.

I was incredibly inspired after watching Girl Connected. It centered around five teenage girls, who are each doing their part in making the world a better, safer place for women by working hard to lessen gender discrimination and violence in their home countries. Josi, from Peru, focused on teen pregnancy and educating her community about safe sex. Latifa, from Bangladesh, focused on spreading the word about the dangers of child marriage. Ghazal, from Jordan, focused on encouraging young girls to express themselves and to use their creativity. Ayesha, from India, focused on teaching the girls of her community karate so they can defend themselves and feel safe. And finally, Michelle, from Kenya, focused on showing young girls and women that they should follow their dreams and emphasized the importance of pursuing an education. All of their stories and their hard work were so motivating and eye-opening!

I would say that I have engaged in activism in the past in small ways. I have educated my family and peers about important issues, and I participated in an AIDS Walk in 2014. I also attended a Black Lives Matter protest in the summer of 2020. Witnessing police brutality unfold in front of my eyes was devastating and served as a grim reality check to the daily life Black people face in our society. I actively try to consume and read media that will educate me on issues surrounding different types of inequalities. I would like to do even more for these marginalized communities.

Specifically, when it comes to gender justice, I suppose I could try harder to express myself and educate those around me. Sometimes, as a girl, it can become difficult to correct people, because I could be mocked, or be labeled as “dramatic.” A lot of misogynistic people find it very hard to listen, as well, so it can be very frustrating when trying to get my point across. Despite this, I will still attempt to teach those around me about how they perpetuate misogyny in their everyday life, and hopefully one day, I won’t have to wear myself out any longer.