Name: Matylda Hayne
Grade: Year 11
Age: 16 Years
School: Scone High School
Hometown and State: Scone, New South Wales
LIFTING US UP – How can women and girls empower each other and their communities in times of uncertainty and change?
“I raise my voice, not so I can shout, but so those without a voice can be heard”. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest ever recipient for the Nobel prize. She started the movement that is Pakistani women’s rights. At the age of 17, she altered the sexist education system that was in place by acquiring nearly 9000 signatures for worldwide access to education for all youth. Malala is just one of many people who define female empowerment. She is empowered to empower.
Google’s definition of empower is giving someone the authority or power to do something. In this context, it is so much more. Empowering is having the knowledge, the confidence, the means, and the ability to actively educate and empower others. It is about elevating our spirits and igniting our desire to be truly on a level playing field.
Empowerment is more than some words on a page, its real human connection. It’s about facing reality and accepting truths, but as a united front. It’s about support, guidance and lifting each other up. With the amount of hate and unrealistic expectations that women face daily, support is exactly what everyone needs.
Support is essential during times of change or transitioning periods. Whether it be moving house, losing a family member or just trying to get through a tough day at school, we all need to be able to rely on someone. Relying on someone is the easy part, being able to rejuvenate afterwards is the challenge. Having the will and the strength is something only you can accomplish. Your empowerment begins with you, it begins inside of us all.
Women are stereotypically complicated. Our bossy demeanor, our excessive cockiness, and our fanatical outbursts, is how some describe feministic, inspirational women among us. We are not bossy, we are confident. We are not emotional or cocky, we are young woman with something important to say. Which is why we all have best friends. We have best friends to talk to, to support, to cry with, to laugh with, even to help reply to that guy. Women support each other constantly behind the scenes.
Above the board there are also many empowerment schemes in place. In particular, my community in the Upper Hunter where the Where There’s A Will Foundation have introduced character strengths to schools. It engages students in their strengths and allows the opportunity to focus on improving their frailties. I recently signed up for our school captain. In this role, I will be able to actively role model younger years and directly learn from the leaders before me.
Which is why I aim to better myself every day. To be a better friend, to be a better sister, to be a better daughter, granddaughter, cousin, colleague, leader, so one day I’ll be able to look in the mirror and tell myself that I accomplished something. If it was finishing the fifteen-page engineering report or even just being there for my friends.
One day I wish to be as kind-hearted as my best friend, as headstrong as my step mum, as goofy as my siblings, as courageous as my dad, as passionate as my English teacher, as well-mannered as my grandma and even just as patient as my adorable dog, Buddy. Empowerment starts with each of us as individuals and ricochets through our communities. We must be encouraged to trust and listen.
This is not a moment it’s the movement. It is the start of a global domino effect of empowered women. As Christy Demetrakis once said and Malala of Pakistan demonstrated, “Empowered woman empower woman.”